A Love Like This
by Apples200
Summary: When the ultimate spanner is thrown in the works for Wade and Zoe, do they come together or pull further way? Picks up straight after 401. Title from Kodaline's song. I do not own Hart of Dixie or anything associated with it.
1. Chapter 1

**Finally the HoD we know and love is back! Just a little story I thought of, picks up straight after 401. Please let me know what you think, thanks! **

…**..**

Wade slammed the door shut in frustration, anger coursing through his veins as he paced around in circles not really sure what to do with himself. He hit his fist into his open palm and made his way over to the bed where he began to pull the sheets from the mattress. It had been 8 weeks and he could still get her sweet scent from the bed clothes or at least he thought it could, there was also the strong possibility that she was so lodged in every cavity of his body that any scent passed as hers. His body tensed as he threw them in a pile in the corner. He looked around the gatehouse for any other signs of her and that was when it hit him, she was everywhere. She was in his sheets, in his furniture, in his clothes- he had let her become the biggest part of his life once again and once again he found himself heartbroken and alone. But no more he thought to himself as he pulled the bottle of gin from its resting place on the shelf. If Zoe Hart was going to be permanently in his head then he needed to remove himself from reality, to really numb the pain.

It was close to noon when he finally woke up, his head throbbing and throat dry. He looked down at his body; shirt missing but jeans intact- he also noticed the empty bottle resting on the worn mattress below him... that explained the pounding headache he said to himself as he sat up slowly, feeling more and more queasy the further he moved away from a horizontal position. He searched for his cell phone but it was nowhere to be found. Groaning he made his way to the bathroom when he heard noise behind him. It wasn't her, it couldn't be her.

"Well you're not dead anyway!"

It wasn't her but it was his other woman…

"Lemon…" he whispered, reluctantly turning around to face her "… can you not make so much noise."

Lemon rolled her eyes, once at his desperate tone and a second time at the state of his house "Next time you plan on gettin' wasted and passin' out can you please text or ring someone. When you never showed for work this mornin' Wanda was convinced you were dead."

Wade rubbed his index finger across his brow as he grew irritated "Well I'm not so can you just leave."

Lemon never budged.

"Please."

Lemon shook her head, she navigated closer to him, avoiding the pile of dirty sheets in the corner and various bottles of beer thrown around the place. It took her only 3 seconds of looking him right in the eye to figure out something had happened and it involved Zoe, it always did.

"What happened?" She asked sincerely, being genuinely concerned over her friend's wellbeing.

"I really do not wanna talk about it."

"Wade." She said sternly.

Wade sighed, his chest now burning from the huge amount alcohol resting uneasily in his stomach. He could see the look of concern on Lemon's face and a part of him kinda did want to talk about, but he also knew that if he said out loud then it would be for real, he would have really lost her.

"Zoe and me, we're done."

"Wade-"

Then something in him snapped and he couldn't keep it in much longer "I just- I don't understand. She asked me to give it another try that she wanted more than just casual sex and I know it took me a while to come around but…" He began to feel that frustration building up in him again "… then she just said no and shut the door on me."

Lemon placed a hand on his upper arm "Wade..."

Wade swallowed hard as he struggled to hide his heartache as Lemon soon began to twitch in confusion "Wait a minute... you went to her?"

Wade nodded his head "Last night. I told her that I loved her and that I wanted to try again, but she just shot me down, again."

"That makes no sense, I was talkin' to her a few days ago and it seemed like she definitely wanted to try again too..."

Wade took no notice of what Lemon was saying, he only nodded his hand and walked into the bathroom "Tell Wanda I'll be in later." He closed the door behind him before Lemon had a chance to interject. She bit her teeth together as her mind worked furiously, something didn't add up… now admittedly Lemon's interest in Wade and Zoe's relationship woes was based purely on her love for her friend who was hurting badly once again but she couldn't help but wonder if there was something more to it, if something was being held a secret.

….

Zoe held the back of her hand against her lips as her stomach churned. She retched once more into the toilet before flushing it, taking a long look in the mirror. She pulled her index finger under her eye to wipe away the smudged mascara. Feeling confident there was no more of her breakfast left to come up she smoothed down her dress and opened the door, being greeted by a chirpy Annabeth almost immediately.

"Zoe! There you are, I need to speak with you."

Zoe cringed as she tried to make a beeline for her office, the one she had been hiding in the past 4 hours "Is it urgent cause I have-"

"Yes!" Annabeth interrupted as Zoe stopped in her tracks.

"Sure, what is it?"

"Well I may have _accidently_ seen Lemon's test results yesterday…."

Zoe's eyes bulged as AB continued "I know it was wrong and a terrible, terrible thing to do but I had to know if Lemon was dyin' or somethin'…" she examined Zoe's freaked state "Which she isn't, but she also isn't pregnant."

Zoe shivered at the word.

"I looked up all the patients that were here yesterday and Lemon was the only female one so unless Frank is keepin' a really big secret I think we should call the lab and tell them there's been a mistake."

Zoe panicked as she laughed awkwardly "I wouldn't worry, Lemon is alive and kickin' right? So just focus on that. All good."

She turned to walk away as AB continued to talk "Except for the woman who is pregnant but has been told she has a virus…"

Zoe froze, trying to compose herself "Well she's gonna find out eventually right." Laughing awkwardly she walked further away from AB into the safety of her office, letting out a sigh as she shut the door behind her. She took a moment before slowly lowering her hand onto her stomach. She held it there, her throat tightening up. She couldn't help but think about what was inside her, that tiny thing that they created in what was admittedly a night of passion and love but also something completely unplanned and the last thing either of them had ever imagined.

"ZOE HART." Lemon's voice bursting with venom and anger as she banged on the door of the office. Zoe jumped at the loud noise which was not helping her nausea.

"What?!" Zoe asked in a raised voice as AB stood behind Lemon who was now red in the face.

"I tried to stop her Zoe but she is just-"

"Standin' right here." Lemon interjected " I need to speak you to."

Zoe made a face "Lemon I really-"

"I don't care. You hurt him, again Zoe! How many times are you goin' to give him a sliver of hope and then yank it away at the last minute?!"

Zoe bit her bottom lip to stop the waterfall of tears that were rapidly building up as Lemon waited for an answer.

"Well? Can you give me a reason as to why he smells like a bottle of gin this mornin'?!"

Lemon continued to press as AB watched on "Lemon, just relax. This is between her and Wade-"

Lemon looked over at her "I just want an explanation as to why you have left him heartbroken… again!"

Zoe sighed as she walked into her office with the two women in tow. She shut the door behind them so no one else could pick up on their conversation. She slowly took a seat as Lemon shadowed her move. Annabeth looked over at Zoe who had a pained expression on her face. She placed her hand on her stomach once again and took a deep breath "Because they weren't your test results… they were mine."

"Oh my god…. Oh my god… Oh my god." Annabeth said to herself over and over as she and Lemon sat across from Zoe who sat uncomfortably in her office chair.

"I don't understand how my results-"

"After you left I threw out your blood sample, replaced it with mine but kept your name on the form. You're fine by the way, you actually do have a virus."

Lemon rolled her eyes, the virus was the last thing on her mind "Zoe, you have to tell Wade."

"I can't. I can't tell him. He is going to freak out."

"Oh because you are dealin' with it so calmly?"

Zoe scoffed hopelessly "How do I tell him? I don't want him to think I did it to trap him. I don't expect him to want any part of-"

Lemon sat up straight, looking Zoe right in the eye "You hold it right there, do not write Wade Kinsella off on this one. That is his baby and he is a lot of things but abandoning his child is not one of them. "

Annabeth concentrated on the seriousness of Lemon's tone as Zoe clasped her two hands together nervously "Do you realise how bad I look in all of this? I seduced him in an attempt to get him back and now I'm pregnant. He said he didn't trust me. How is he ever going to trust me now?"

Lemon and Annabeth looked over at each other and then back at Zoe, who was desperate for some sort of advice or guidance. Annabeth sat forward, careful with her words "It doesn't matter how it happened, what matters is how you and Wade are going to deal with it."

"And the longer you wait to tell him, the more upset he is going to be." Lemon added as Zoe suddenly started to feel sick again except this time it wasn't morning sickness, it was nerves.

….

Wade stared at the bottle of ice cold beer that sat in front of him. His stomach churned at the sight of it as Lavon watched on.

"You alright there buddy?"

Wade snapped back to reality and put on a fake smile to put Lavon's worries at ease "Yeah I'm fine just a long day."

"Well at least you ain't dead."

Wade scoffed "You heard about that?"

Lavon nodded as he walked over and took a seat beside Wade "I did. I also had to talk Wanda out of callin' in the National Guard to look for you."

Wade smiled to himself "Ever occurred to them to check my house before takin' any drastic steps?"

Lavon sighed "She was worried about you, so am I. You wanna tell me what's goin' on with you? And don't tell me it's nothin' and don't tell me it has nothin' to do with Zoe because it does, doesn't it?"

Wade ran his hand across his face "I just don't understand what is goin' on with her. I went to her and told her I loved her and wanted to be with her and she just shut the door on face. She just- I give up, Zoe and I are done, forever."

As Lavon examined the resigned look on his friend's face the kitchen door swung open and revealed a very nervous looking Zoe standing there. Immediately Wade froze, there was no avoiding her. Zoe thought about backing away but then she remembered her conversation with Lemon and Annabeth, now was the perfect opportunity to tell Wade. She shut the door behind her and slowly moved closer to where the two men were sitting. Lavon suddenly felt very uncomfortable as the atmosphere in the kitchen turned to awkward and angst-filled.

"Lavon, can you give us a minute please."

"Yeah sure-"

"No, Lavon don't bother. I'm leavin' anyway." Wade said bluntly, trying his best to avoid eye contact with her. Lavon saw the disappointment in Zoe's eyes as Wade stood up and felt it was time to step in.

"No Wade you guys should talk."

Wade dropped his head "Lavon."

"My kitchen, my rules. Now talk." He stood up and pushed past Wade who was defeated, it hurt to look at Zoe knowing that just yesterday he was knocking on her door telling her he loved her and wanted to be with her and now they felt so far away and the worst part was that he didn't know why and was in no mood to hear her explanation. Zoe waited until Lavon had shut the door before she dared to move closer to Wade.

She took a deep breath as he looked at her, in anticipation "I owe you an explanation-"

"Save it, I don't want to hear it."

"But Wade-"

"No Zoe, you can't keep doin' this to me. I did what you asked me to do, I came to your door and I told you I loved you and you slammed it in my face, literally. I just- there is nothin' you can say anymore to fix this. We're over."

"Wade. I need you to hear me out." She persisted with him as his fists began to clench.

"Did you listen to a word I just said?!" His angry tone shot through her like a bullet "I don't want to talk. I just want to get on with my life, without you." It killed him to say that, he didn't mean it of course he didn't but seeing her just reminded him of how much he loved her and how for some unknown reason he could no longer have her. Zoe bit her tongue; she didn't want him to find out this way. She didn't want to tell him he was going to be a father during a moment of rage but the more he went on about being over her and wanting to live his life without her, the more she wanted to stun him, catch him off guard and scare him. Wade walked past her, making his way to the door but stopped and slowly turned to face her, the anger in his voice quenched slightly "This is why we don't work Zoe…"

Zoe slammed her eyes shut and inhaled slowly "It's not about us anymore Wade and whether or not we work."

"What do you mean by that?"

Zoe panicked as she walked past him and through the open door "You've made it perfectly clear that you don't want to spend another minute with me and I get that, you don't trust me…"

"Zoe…" Wade said softly, slowly starting to calm down.

Her eyes filled with tears and her throat tightened "You can't plan these things, they just happen…"

Wade shook his head as he sensed she was pulling further and further away from him "What are you talkin' about?"

"Wade I'm- I'm… I gotta go." With that she turned her back on him and made her way to the carriage house leaving Wade confused and frustrated. He contemplated following her but he knew that whatever it was that was bothering her would not be given up easily and he honestly didn't know if he wanted to discover what it was. So he pulled the door behind him and headed home, feeling dejected and frustrated.

….

Please let me know what you thought and if I should continue. Thanks


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you all so much for all the reviews and positive feedback. It is so good to be back writing Wade and Zoe again! Hope you enjoy this chapter **

…

"So… how'd it go? Ooo did he cry? I hear some men cry when they find out about their first child!"

"He did not cry…"

"Did he-"

Zoe cringed as she reached over the desk to pick up a patient file "I guarantee you AB he did not one of the things you're about to suggest because… I never told him."

AB's mouth dropped in disappointment, watching Zoe flip through the pile of files even though she knew she wasn't really reading them but rather avoiding her. Zoe gave her a fake smile as she turned away and walked towards her office.

"Zoe." AB called after her "You have to tell him!"

Zoe came to an abrupt halt, swinging back to face Annabeth "No I don't… and will you please be quiet. I don't want Brick to hear us talking about this."

"And what would that be Doctor Hart?" Brick asked suspiciously as he walked out of his office. Zoe shot AB a look of disgust as Brick folded his arms. Zoe scrambled her brain to think of a reason to give to Brick.

"Eyebrows!" she spat out "… I need to leave early tomorrow for an appointment in Mobile to get my eyebrows done and I wanted to keep it as a surprise for you but now you know so…"

AB cringed as Brick looked around in awe, he thought he had finally caught up with Zoe and her questionable ways but this was a new one. Zoe painted a massive grin on her face which only irritated Brick more.

"Dr. Hart I know you are goin' through a difficult time right now regardin' your love life but please let it be known to us all that I do not and will never show interest in your… hair." Annabeth hid her laughter behind her hand as she handed Brick a paper file and watched him walk back into his office still spinning from what had just happened. Zoe lifted her hand to cover her face in embarrassment as she moved over to the desk, drawing AB into her.

Zoe lowered her voice to a full whisper to ensure Brick could not hear them "I actually have an appointment in Mobile with the OBGYN at 2pm so can you please cancel any patients I have scheduled."

"Zoe, you can't go without Wade. He'll want to be there."

"Trust me, he won't want to be there… and please stop talking about Wade."

Annabeth shook her head, continuing to whisper "What's your plan Zoe? Do you think Wade won't notice you gettin' bigger and then oh I don't know… HAVE A BABY!"

"Are you making jokes?"

"I really am not. Zoe this is not somethin' that can be fixed with antibiotics or concealer! This is his child, your child together and I really think you'll regret it in years to come if you don't deal with this properly. For the sake of your child."

Zoe hung her head, her mood suddenly altered, she looked over at Brick's office door and thankfully it remained shut "Wade made it perfectly clear that he doesn't want a future with me. What else is there left to say? Now if you excuse me, I have a patient." Annabeth groaned to herself, deep down she knew this was an issue between Wade and Zoe only but she couldn't stand by and watch Zoe suffer and Wade remain blissfully unaware. She waited until Zoe had shut her office door before picking up the office phone and quietly pressing the buttons. She waited anxiously as the call rang out in fear that Zoe would reappear.

"Lemon…" she whispered "… it's me. We need to talk."

….

"The service here is just… atrocious."

Wade rolled his eyes once he heard her voice. He turned the key in the register, threw the dishrag over his shoulder and turned around "Lemon, good mornin' to you too."

Lemon gave him a sweet smile as he prepared her usual mug of sweet tea. As Lemon watched him pour the boiling water into the mug she couldn't help but notice the resigned look on his face. She hit her fingernails against the wooden surface, her mind wandering to places of mischievous that she had never ventured to before.

"So Wade, do you have any plans tonight?"

Wade shrugged his shoulders "Workin' probably. Why?"

"Well, seen as my dear old grandmother is still in town…" Lemon threw a look of disgust in Wade's direction as he smirked "… and she is thrown' a big old Breeland dinner party for Henry and I and I would like you to come."

Wade groaned "Lemon I don't know… I mean don't get me wrong I'd _love_ to spend an evenin' with you and your family but I-"

"Stop tryin' to come up with some stupid reason not to come so you can sit at home and mope about Zoe."

"I am not mopin' around."

"Well good. So you'll be there?"

Wade froze, his mouth stiff "Uh yeah, I guess I'll be there."

Lemon gave a smile of satisfaction "Fantastic. Dinner will be served at 7, be there at 6:30pm sharp for beverages and for the love of God wear somethin'… respectable."

Wade nodded as he lifted the heavy crate of empty bottles just as Lavon and George walked in "I gotta bring these out back, I'll see you later." Lemon hardly had time to acknowledge him once she caught sight of Lavon and George who had taken a seat near the door. She took a final sip of her tea, grabbed her bag and rushed over to them. Both men jumped at the sight of her suddenly sitting in front of them. They looked at each other in a confused way as Lemon scanned the bar for any sight of Wade. She leaned over, knocking the menu right out of Lavon's hand.

"The two of you are required at my house for a fake dinner party at 7. No excuses… and dress formal."

George groaned "Ugh Lemon again with the fake stuff, really?"

Lemon shook off his comment "If either of you like me, even remotely then you will be there. Yes?"

"Yes." They said in unison as she saw Wade in the corner of her eye.

"Good. I'll see you then." She jumped up out of her seat and paced out of the Rammer Jammer, whipping her phone out in the process and held it to her ear.

"AB, Operation baby is go…." Lemon said smiling but soon wiped it from her face as Zoe turned the corner "…. I gotta go." She placed her phone back in her bag as Zoe approached her.

" … you're here, at the Rammer Jammer." She said awkwardly as Zoe fidgeted with her fingers.

"Well I have to go in sometime right?"

"And once inside do you think you'll mention to him that you are pregnant with his child?"

Zoe scoffed "Lemon, butt out."

"No no, you're right. It is none of my business… I won't get involved. Now if you excuse me, I have a menu to plan."

Zoe didn't even register what Lemon was waffling on about as she was too nervous about walking through the doors in front of her and undoubtedly seeing Wade and having to deal with the fact that she once again could not build up the courage to tell him that she was carrying his child. She took a deep breath and walked slowly into the Rammer Jammer, hoping that Wade would be in the kitchen or taking out the trash. She was in no such luck. There he was standing at the nearest table chatting casually to George and Lavon. She examined his every detail from his messy hair to his red and white flannel shirt… suddenly she found her hand resting on her stomach yet again but the minute he looked up and their eyes locked, she pulled it away.

"Hey…" he said quietly as he approached her.

"Hi…"

"I uh, I haven't seen you in here in a while. You want somethin' to eat?"

Zoe swallowed her bubbling emotions "Uh no… just a tea to go, please."

Disappointment shot through Wade, hoping secretly she'd stay, preferably at her usual seat at the bar and they could speak more than 5 words to each other. He made his way back to the bar and boiled the kettle as she made the unconscious decision to follow him. They both stole glances at each other until eventually their eyes met resulting in a smirk from Wade, who was taking the longest time in preparing a cup of tea just so he could spend some time around her. Zoe knew full well that everyone in the bar was staring at them, wondering what possibly they could be talking about but she didn't care. All she could focus on was him.

"So…" Wade said as he handed her the takeaway cup of tea "… I was wonderin' if maybe one night you wanted to stop by and I could pour you a glass of wine from your stock I got here. Darn thing is full."

Zoe's heart fluttered, once at how cute he was when he was nervous and once more at his offer for them to spend more time together. But then she found her hand on her stomach once more and had to shut down those feelings of sheer joy and delight, she couldn't drink… she's pregnant and that led her to stressing about having not told Wade…_still_ so she smiled politely at him and before she knew it the words had left her mouth.

"How about tonight? I'm off at 8. I could call in after."

Wade winced "I uh, I can't tonight but tomorrow definitely."

Zoe gave a forced smile, given the situation, and nodded "Great, well I gotta get back to work so I'll see you tomorrow… for wine." He smiled at her as she walked away but stopped abruptly and turned back around for Wade to see a dollar bill in her hand. He held his hand up to stop her "On the house, Doc."

All Zoe could do was smile.

…..

Wade straightened down his white button down shirt. His attempt at ironing had failed miserably but thankfully for him Lemon didn't really seem to care once he arrived at her door at 6:55pm exactly, much to her disgust. He walked into the living room to see Lavon and George standing awkwardly in the corner as AB dashed between the dining room and the kitchen.

"Wade… what are you doin' here?" George asked, even more confused as to what was going on.

"Lemon told me to be here, you know for the party for her grandmother. What are you doin' here?"

Lavon and George looked at each other "She ordered us to be here… she was very scary."

Wade nodded "Hey listen, I don't want either you of two messin' with her tonight. She is with Henry and she is happy."

"Yeah sure…" Lavon said "… so hey, we saw you and Zoe talkin' today, things finally back on track?"

Wade laughed a little as he looked down at his feet "I don't think there is anythin' that can bring me and Zoe back together."

As George opened his mouth to speak, Lemon burst into the living room with Henry on her arm. He gave a polite smile to the 3 men standing in front of him. Lemon looked back at AB who held her thumbs up. Lemon cleared her throat to get the attention of the room.

"We're now ready so if you all will make your way to the dining room. Dinner is served…." She looked at Wade "... Wade, not drinkin' tonight?"

"I wasn't really plannin'-"

"Well tough. You are. What will you have?"

"I don't presume you got any beer…"

Lemon smiled "Actually, tonight we do."

George's head shot up as he laughed "Beer... in this house? We dated for 15 years and not once have I seen anythin' other than scotch bein' served here."

Lemon rolled her eyes "Well George, tonight is a special night and Wade is gettin' beer if that is what he wants."

Wade looked over at George "Yes Tucker…" he said sarcastically "… it is a special night, for granny."

Lavon raised his head "Granny? As in Breeland? The Grandma Breeland who left for the airport last night?"

Lemon's eyes bulged as AB panicked. Wade turned around to face Lemon, he was starting to question what he was really doing here and what ulterior motives Lemon had going on. He picked at the bottle of beer as he walked into the dining room to see 7 places set at the table. Wade pulled the chair out in front of him but before he could sit Lemon redirected him to another seat, further down the table and he couldn't help but notice that the seat to his left was empty.

"So Lemon…" Wade started to ask as AB poured his bottle of beer into a glass and took the bottle away from the table "… if your grandmother isn't here, then why am I here? Why are we all here?"

Lemon and AB looked at each other "Okay fine…" Lemon sighed "… this never had anythin' to do with my grandmother..." AB looked at her, feeling like all her planning was going to waste as Lemon appeared to drop the act "… I want to welcome Henry into the community and I knew Lavon and George would never agree to come to dinner so AB suggested I invite you as a buffer." AB hid her smile behind her hand, she felt stupid for even considering Lemon would foil this plan. George and Lavon were however, less than impressed and slightly confused but Lemon gave them no time to voice their feelings.

"So Henry, Wade actually lives on Lavon's land and George, well he lives on a boat."

"That you once lived on…" George whispered to himself.

Henry nodded and smiled as he turned to Lavon and Wade "That's some lovely land you got there don't you Mr Mayor."

"I like it…" Lavon said proudly as Lemon became flustered.

"Dr. Hart also lives on his land."

"The one who works with your father?"

Lemon nodded as Wade eyed her, he didn't want to talk about Zoe- especially not to some stranger he just met. Lemon could feel the stares on the side of her face as she shot a look at AB who suddenly jumped from her seat causing everyone to drop their forks and stare at her.

"Excuse me, I just forgot that I have duck in the oven that needs checkin'…" She dashed into the kitchen with her phone hidden in her hand as Wade made a face at the thought of having to eat duck.

The next ten minutes were spent with Lemon and AB discussing various stories about the town and Wade, Lavon and George in particular. All of whom only agreed or nodded and picked at their food. That was until the doorbell rang and Lemon became giddy once more. Everyone looked around except for Lemon who had her eyes set firmly on Wade.

"Wade would you please get that."

Wade scoffed growing evermore frustrated with Lemon and whatever scheme she had planned "You want me to answer the door at your own house?"

"Well you are closest aren't you?"

"I guess…" Wade said as he pulled himself up and trudged over to the door. He knew almost immediately who he would be looking at once the door opened as from the brief glimpse of the top of her head through the small glass window in the door he knew it was her. Zoe's face fell once she saw Wade standing in front of her looking semi-formal. His outstretched arm holding the door open revealed his perfectly toned muscles. She glanced at them for a moment but soon found herself staring right into his eyes.

"Doc…"

"Wade… what are you doing at the Breeland's?"

Wade looked to his left as Zoe's eyes followed him to see the group of people all sitting around the table yet all looking in her direction.

"Oh… a party." She said to herself but Wade was eager to show her it wasn't anything he wanted to be at.

"Lemon tricked me into thinkin' this was a thing her Grandma was throwin' but it isn't… Im not sure what it is." He gave a small laugh as he watched her eyes scramble "What's the matter?" he asked as Zoe stepped into the hallway, having her body brush past his was familiar and he calmed him.

"Why did AB call me saying your Grandmother was sick and where is Brick?!" Zoe questioned Lemon from across hallway.

Lemon rolled her eyes " stop stressin'… I told AB to say that because I wanted to you to meet Henry and I knew you wouldn't come if you knew Wade was goin' to be here."

"Lemon I'm meant to be working."

"It's alright Doctor Hart I don't imagine anyone has plans of dyin' tonight. Besides, I texted Daddy and he agreed to be on call tonight, so you're out of excuses."

Zoe crossed her arms over her stomach as Wade looked down at her. She could feel his stares and once again she felt guilty for keeping this huge secret from him.

"Well don't just stand there lettin' the night air in." Lemon pushed as she stood up. Wade gave Zoe a look of assurance as he shut the door and followed her into the dining room and was not one bit surprised when Lemon directed her into the empty seat right beside him. George and Lavon looked on awkwardly as AB served Zoe up a plate of food which instantly made Zoe feel ill. Wade waited until conversation had started between others around the table before looking down at Zoe.

"I'm sorry about all this Doc, I had no idea."

Zoe tried to keep her distance from him both physically and emotionally but he was making it difficult with his gentle tone and irresistible scent "It's okay, I should have known this was a Lemon trap."

"Doctor Hart…" Lemon asked once again bringing the attention on Wade and Zoe "…Red or white?"

"Huh?"

"Wine… red or white wine?"

Zoe moved around in her seat uncomfortably knowing full well what Lemon was doing to her. She tried to think of a reason why she wasn't drinking but then she caught eye contact with Wade and smiled "I'll just have water… I'll save the wine for tomorrow." As the words left her mouth Wade blushed, feeling more comfortable around her but left Lemon frustrated.

"So Zoe, AB tells me you have an appointment to get your eyebrows done tomorrow… how nice."

Immediately George knew Lemon was up to something, not that he didn't have his suspicions prior to this but now he was sure and he cringed in sympathy for Zoe who was in the line of fire. Annabeth who was slightly surprised at the lengths Lemon was going to, watched on as Zoe froze.

"Lemon I really don't think-"

"Not now Henry."

"Yeah Lemon I don't think-"

"Lavon hush…." She persisted "… please Zoe tell us about your eyebrows and the appointment that is tomorrow."

Wade watched as Zoe sunk into her seat and suddenly his protective instinct kicked in "Lemon, I don't know what is wrong with you. Maybe you're sick or on drugs or you're finally havin' that mental breakdown you are destined to have but you need to stop!"

Lemon threw her hands in the air "You need to hear about the eyebrows more than anyone Wade!"

Wade looked at Lavon and George, hoping for some insight into Lemon's psyche but they were just as baffled as he was.

"Zoe." Lemon said sternly.

"Lemon, stop it."

"Zoe."

Zoe shook her head in disgust as she turned to Wade "Wade, can I speak to you outside please?"

Wade only delighted to get away from Lemon agreed instantly and took no time in rising from the table, following Zoe out onto the porch leaving Lemon was a satisfied smile on her face.

….

"I really have no idea what's goin' on with her, maybe she needs her dosage upped or somethin'… I don't know..." Wade said as he took a seat on the porch swing making sure the window behind them was firmly shut. Zoe gave him a fake smile and straight away he knew something was bothering her "…For what it's worth I think your eyebrows look nice."

Zoe slammed her eyes shut; she needed him to not be so sweet to her in this moment. It just made it so much harder for her to tell him this news that will turn his world upside down and she didn't want to do that to him. Despite Lemon's madness, she was right. Wade needed to know and the longer she kept it from him the worse it would be for them both. Zoe took one final breath and exhaled slowly as Wade soon became anxious.

"Zoe is everythin' okay?"

"Wade I have to tell you something."

"What is it?"

"Look there is no easy way to say this without upsetting you or stunning you and I know no matter how many times I tell you I did not plan this it will feel like-"

"Zoe." Wade said as he placed his hand on her wrist to calm her impending frenzy "Just tell me, I promise I won't get mad."

Zoe pulled her arm away "Don't say that, don't make a promise you can't keep."

"Zoe-"

"I'm pregnant."

Wade froze. His mouth refused to move and his skin turned a shade of white that Zoe had never seen before. It was at least a minute before he blinked and even that was a struggle for him. Zoe fell back against the cushions causing the swing to move backwards as she covered her mouth with both hands. She couldn't hide her emotions much longer and as Wade remained in the same frozen position the two of them could only sit there, overcome by disbelief and fear. Wade really wanted to speak, he wanted to say something to her but he just couldn't bring his mouth to move. After moments of sitting in sheer silence, Wade finally found it in himself to angle his neck in her direction.

"So like… 2 months?"

Zoe lifted her head in shock as she wiped her face "Yeah. I thought I had that virus that was going around."

"So Lemon wasn't talkin' bout your eyebrows was she?"

Zoe bit her bottom lip "She and Annabeth know, I have an appointment with a doctor in Mobile tomorrow."

Wade nodded his head but Zoe wasn't really sure if he registered it at all.

"Look Wade, I don't know what to say to you because I don't even know what to think… but whatever you decide, I'll understand and accept."

It took every ounce of strength Zoe had in her body to lift herself from that porch swing and walk down those steps. She didn't expect Wade to follow her and he didn't, but it still stung like hell as she walked further and further away from him knowing that she had changed his life forever.

….

"Is there anyone here with you today?" The doctor asked as Zoe adjusted her body on the examination table.

"No. Just me." She answered, her eyes kept firmly on the picture on the opposite wall of a couple holding their new-born baby with massive smiles on their faces. She swallowed her tears as the doctor continued her exam.

The doctor smiled "Okay well everything looks good, I am just going to go get some gel and then we can get a scan."

Zoe took a deep breath as she nodded, she felt so uncomfortable in the hospital gown as she lay there with so many things swirling around in her mind. She took no notice when the door behind her opened once more.

"Zoe…" the voice behind her said quietly as she shot up. She didn't know how to react when she saw him standing there, his hair was a mess and it didn't look like he got more than an hour of sleep. He had his hands dug deep in his pockets as he appeared completely overwhelmed by his surroundings.

"Wade, how did you know I was here?"

"You told me last night that you had an appointment and Annabeth told me the time… Did I miss it?"

"You haven't missed anything." The doctor said as she walked causing him to jump slightly. She walked back around to Zoe's side, pulling the ultra-sound machine closer to her. Zoe lay back down on the table all the while keeping her eyes on Wade who stood a foot away from her, still extremely uncomfortable and not sure where to stand. The doctor clearly wasn't new to awkward fathers in her office as she urged Wade to stand closer to Zoe as she exposed Zoe's lower abdomen.

"This might be a bit cold." She said as she squirted the blue gel onto Zoe's golden brown skin, it made Zoe shiver but before she knew it she found Wade's hand on her shoulder. He felt her relax once their skin made contact and that gave him the confidence to step even closer to the table. The doctor pressed the transducer against Zoe's stomach which gave her a weird feeling but once she felt Wade's touch intensify she was at ease.

"Okay… let's take a look here." The doctor said as she moved the transducer across Zoe's abdomen. There was a moments silence as the doctor scanned and soon Wade began to worry. Why hadn't she found it yet? Why couldn't he see anything or hear anything? Just as his mind wandered to dark places the Doctor looked over at them and smiled, placing her baby finger on a tiny round smudge on the screen.

"There's your baby…." She flicked a switch to the left of the screen and that was when they heard it. That tiny muffled sound was like nothing either of them had ever heard before as Wade lowered himself down to be closer to Zoe, their heads almost touching as the rhythmic beats continued to fill the silence in the room. Zoe looked up to Wade who for the second time in 24 hours was left speechless in her company. As they made eye contact Wade couldn't help but let out a little laugh as Zoe smiled up at him.

"I'm so happy you're here for this…" Zoe whispered as Wade moved his hand off her shoulder and onto her hand.

"You kiddin'? I wouldn't miss this for the world."

…**. **

**So there you have it. Please let me know what you thought, thanks!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Took me longer than expected to get this up, sorry about that! Hope you enjoy this next chapter.**

…**.**

Wade stroked his thumb over the ultrasound print out. It had been seven days and he still wasn't sick of looking at it. Sometimes he lost the position of the foetus but quickly found it again and couldn't help but stare at it, to the point that his eyes only saw black and white fuzz. He sat on his couch completely enthralled by the image in his hand that he didn't hear the first knock on the door but the second caught his attention as Zoe's head poked around the door. Wade sat up straight away placing the picture face down on the coffee table.

"Hey there…" Zoe said as Wade smiled at her, moving a hoodie and a few t-shirts off the couch inviting her to take a seat beside him "… Missed you at breakfast this morning, not that I _missed_ missed you but I- I noticed you weren't there." She slumped into the couch once she stopped herself from rambling, feeling slightly embarrassed but luckily Wade only smiled at her, finding her nerves cute.

"I didn't get off work til 3 last night so I'm just up now."

"Ah I see…" Zoe said as she looked around, noticing the scan on the table in front of her. Before Wade could stop her she turned the scan over and now he was the embarrassed one. Zoe looked at it and then smiled at Wade "… I keep mine in my purse. Yesterday Brick walked into my office and caught me looking at it, I had to tell him it was my grocery list!"

Wade let out a little laugh and even more so when he heard her little giggle too "You, cookin'? Well he definitely knows you were lyin' so!"

Zoe scoffed as she hit him playfully on the shoulder "Shut up" she said jokingly as she examined the image; it was still mind blowing to her that unintentionally she and Wade had made something so incredibly unbelievable. As she looked at it she had a feeling of fear, complete fear but also excitement and she had an inkling that Wade felt that way too, but she couldn't be sure.

"It's still so surreal..."

"I know. I just keep lookin' at it, doesn't feel real at all."

"Tell me about it…" Zoe said as her voice trailed off, Wade eased into her company as their arms were soon touching and then their eyes were locked together "… so um…" she said pulling way "… I know that we haven't really talked about, about this and everything-"

"And?" Wade said as he shifted his weight away from her and instantly she knew what he was doing, he was avoiding the conversation that they needed to have so badly, like he had been doing for a week now. He reached forward pulling a pair of socks out from under the coffee table as Zoe cringed in frustration.

"And, don't you think we should find a time to sit down and talk about all of this? To see where we stand? How you want to be involved in all of this?"

As Wade stood up he tried to shake off the seriousness of her tone and her manner. He searched for his boots that were hidden behind the couch and quietly slipped into them "I thought we cleared that up when I came to the appointment last week…" He grabbed his keys and his wallet from his night stand as Zoe watched on, feeling extremely frustrated "… Look I gotta get to work. I'll see ya later Doc."

"Wade!" Zoe called after him but she knew it was a waste of time as he had already made his way off the porch and slowly out of view. Zoe sighed as she turned back to the couch to pick up her handbag when the scan, still on the table, caught her eye. She sighed as she took a seat on the couch. How were her and Wade ever going to bring a child into this world when they couldn't even sit down and have an honest talk about their relationship and their feelings. Once again she pressed her hand against her stomach, full of uncertainty and fear.

….

"Wade…"

"Lemon." He said bluntly, refusing to look up at her.

"Still acting like a child I see." Lemon said, passing off her and Annabeth's antics as if it was a piece of Wade's infamous immaturity.

Wade however was having none of it. He brushed off her comment by simply ignoring her and continuing on with his work but Lemon persisted, following him behind the bar she shadowed him as he pulled open the dishwasher and pulled out a drawer of clean glasses. He didn't notice her at first but then felt her presence causing him to jump a little but still refusing to give her the satisfaction of a reaction.

"You haven't talked to her about it yet have you? Wade I can tell by just lookin' at you that you are avoidin' this because you are scared and it is okay to be scared but you cannot put this aside, this is serious."

Lemon hoped her honest appeals would reach him but he shut her out.

"You know she was goin' to have to tell you eventually. I just gave her a little nudge in the right direction."

Wade began stacking the glasses on the shelf, now acting like Lemon wasn't there at all when George took a seat at the bar. He picked up on what was going on almost immediately and was honestly a little shocked to see Lemon voluntarily spending time around Wade after the stunt she pulled last week.

"Hey guys…" he said as Wade gave him a nod of acknowledgment "…Lemon, you think I could talk to Wade for a moment?"

Lemon rolled her eyes as she peeled away from behind the bar. Wade continued on working, as if nothing was happening while George watched on intently. He then waved her off and watched her strut out of the Rammer Jammer all the while Wade continued to work. George didn't exactly know how to approach this subject with him as for the past week Wade had been off the radar completely. He just came into work, said the bare minimum and then went home, leaving the night shift to someone else most nights. George waited until Wade had finished emptying the dishwasher before catching his attention again.

"Still givin' Lemon the silent treatment huh?"

"What are you on about Tucker?"

George moved a little closer to the counter, pulling Wade in with his stare "I know all this is cause of what she did last week. With you and Zoe…" Wade tried to play it down but George could see right through him "…You come to terms with it yet?"

Wade placed the unopened packet of napkins in front of George, acting as cool as possible as he knew full well the people of Bluebell had the knack for hearing gossip better than anyone. He cleared his throat, slowly trying to form the words in his mouth "What d'ya mean by that."

George smiled "Come on Wade, what happened last week wasn't just about you and Zoe being apart… you guys were outside for a really long time and you were the colour of a ghost once you came back in… plus I noticed Zoe wasn't drinkin'."

Wade breathed in deeply "You know, good I guess."

George, slightly shocked at Wade's cool composure nodded his head "I remember when Lemon had that pregnancy scare right after we broke up… man never been more terrified in my life."

Wade gave a blank look and then smiled sarcastically "The operative word bein' scare. Zoe actually is pregnant."

"Right, sorry. Well at least you guys are together to deal with it."

"What do you mean?"

"You guys are back together right?"

Wade shook his head innocently, starting to feel pressure with all the questions being fired at him a bit like with Zoe this morning "I-I don't really know."

"So you guys are gonna that whole co-parenting thing?"

Wade opened his mouth to speak but was stuck. George, who admittedly found himself slipping into lawyer mode couldn't help but noticed how incredibly unphased Wade appeared by this life changing event that was happening to him.

"So the baby is gonna live between your house and her house?"

"Well I –"

"What about a kitchen? Are you guys gonna still work out of Lavon's kitchen because a baby requires-"

"Tucker!" Wade called out "Will you just cool it on the interrogation, please." He rubbed his fingers across his forehead in a stressed state.

George sat up "I'm sorry Wade but aren't these the sort of things you and Zoe need to talk about?"

….

"Has she spoken to you?" Lemon whispered to AB as they stared at Zoe's closed office door.

AB looked over at her with a puzzled look "Yes. Why wouldn't she?"

Lemon rolled her eyes "Because of what we did!"

"No, no. Not we, you. I simply prepared the dinner- which by the way nobody ate, you did everythin' else."

"So she wasn't mad?" Lemon asked with a twist of hope mixed in.

"Well I apologised for my part but other than that I don't think so. She's been pretty off the radar in the past week."

"I see…" Lemon said to herself as Zoe's office door opened. Both AB and Lemon directed their stares to the magazine in front of them, pretending to discuss one of the articles.

"So, you don't think it's scurvy?" Frank asked worriedly as Zoe led him out of her office.

Zoe smiled sweetly "Unless you've been on any pirate ships lately then no and the blood tests will say the same but just in case… I've prescribed you some vitamin C tablets. Remember rest and plenty of water." She led him to the door and on turning around she saw Lemon standing there and suddenly her sweet smile disappeared and was replaced with an almost blank look as she headed back towards her office.

" !" Lemon called out after her.

Zoe continued on walking knowing full well Lemon would follow her in anyway.

"What is it Lemon, I really don't have time for-"

"I don't normally do this…"

"Apologise?"

"Apologise? Lord no. I ain't apologisin'. I am here because Wade will not speak to me and I was wonderin' if you could please tell him to start doin' so."

Zoe scoffed "Are you serious? You want me to tell Wade to talk to you after you kidnapped us both and-"

"It was for your own good, you would have never told him otherwise!"

Zoe curled her fingers in frustration "Yes I would have Lemon, you need to stop thinking you are the Wade whisperer and realise you are not the only one around here that knows him."

"Well if you know him so well Zoe then you would know that he is terrified and overwhelmed and walkin' around like an empty vessel because the fear of actually bein' responsible for someone other than himself has shakin' him to his very core!"

"Lemon, if I asked for your opinion on what's going on in my life then I will ask you but until then, butt out."

She held her hand against the door urging Lemon out who took no time in storming out as AB watched on. Zoe only gave her a quick glance before going back into the office and slamming the door in frustration. What pained her the most was that Lemon was right, not about knowing Wade, but knowing that he was scared. She hated that Wade refused to have an actual conversation with her and she really hated that everyone around them could see that, all except him.

….

Zoe picked at the pint of ice-cream that sat in front of her, each time the spoon hit the frozen texture she sniffed, pulling the tears back in. She wiped the back of her hand over her cheek to squash any tear that had escaped when she heard a gentle knock at the door before Wade walked in. Instantly he saw the distressed state she was in.

"Doc what's wrong?" He asked as he took a seat on the edge of the bed, noticing the box of tissues between her legs.

Zoe shook her head, trying her best to play down her emotions but it was no use. Her hormones mixed with her feelings mixed with her frustration just became too much as the tears began to roll down her face.

"We are what's wrong Wade."

Wade winced in confusion "Zoe-"

"No, look at us! We can't even have a proper conversation… how are ever meant to have a child! They require conversations and talking and communication and I just don't know if we can do that! I don't know if I can do….that."

Wade's face dropped once those words left her mouth, he knew he had been distant with her but it was never his intention to make her doubt her ability to be a parent, to bring their child into this world. He brushed a tear off her cheek but it was quickly replaced by another one.

"The idea of bein' someone's dad scares the crap out of me…" he said, his eyes fixed on hers "… known that in a few months there is gonna be this tiny person who is gonna be relyin' on me for pretty much everythin'… it scares me."

"Why didn't you just tell me that?"

Wade shrugged his shoulders "For most of my life I've grown up with Earl who basically left me to raise myself and I guess I didn't want you to see me like that, someone not capable of bein' there for his child. So I acted like all this would be second nature to me, but it's not."

Zoe let out a long sigh of relief as she placed her hand on his arm that sat inches away from her "Best speech I've heard all day. Thank you."

"You've heard more than one of those today?"

Zoe nodded her head "Lemon actually… she called by the office and-"

"I'll kill her."

Zoe smiled "Wade she's just looking out for you, she is extremely protective of you."

"You sure…" he said sweetly as they both smiled.

"Yes." She said as a little giggle left her mouth.

Zoe was afraid to ruin the moment going on between them but she still needed to air a few things "I just want you to know that I never did this to trap your or-"

Wade placed a hand on her knee and squeezed it softly "Hey hey, I never thought that. Not for one second. I promise. We were both there, remember?"

Zoe nodded as she wiped under her eyes and let out a nervous laugh "So, what do we do now?"

Wade paused for a minute "You know that I love you and that I want us to do this together…" Zoe smiled as her heart fluttered "… but I think that right now, the best thing for us is to focus on the baby."

Her smile disappeared as he reluctantly carried on "We have so much goin' on and I don't want us to take on too much to the point where we ruin it all again."

"Is this what you want?" She asked, masking her disappointment with a serious tone.

"I think it's what's best for right now."

He knew he was lying and she knew he was lying but she played along with it all the same. Once she found it in her to fix a fake smile on her face she looked up at him, with some tears in her eyes. Maybe she was being selfish in wanting Wade back or maybe he was right, that they should just focus on their child and find a time in the future to discuss their relationship. She had no doubt in her mind that Wade would be there for her over the next few months but she also knew in order for this to work, both needed to compromise and if this is what he wanted then she was going to respect that, no matter how hard it was.

….

"I need you to apologise to Zoe." Wade said as he approached Lemon who had stepped away from Henry briefly.

"Wade." She said, stunned with his sudden arrival.

"No Lemon just let me get this out." He shifted his weight a little, slowly adding to the confidence he had built up on the walk over. Lemon raised an eyebrow at his confident manner but still slightly afraid of what he was about to say to her.

"I understand that you were tryin' to look out for me, you saw me at my worst and you know me all too well but Zoe… she and I are tryin' to come to terms with all of this and havin' you comin' around and upsettin' her is just makin' things even harder especially since I was the one makin' things hard for her in the first place by not talkin' to her which you noticed…." Lemon watched on in awe as she finally saw the Wade she knew and loved "… if you really do care for me which I think you do then be there for me and for Zoe, please."

Lemon smiled at Wade who was still holding his breath. The rush of adrenaline mixed with fear still had him in a tensed position.

"You are goin' to make a terrific father Wade Kinsella. That baby has just hit the jackpot ."

Wade smiled to himself, still in a little but of shock and in desperate need of a beer as Lemon placed her hand on his upper arm as a sign of support and comfort.

…**.**

**There you go… please let me know what you thought, thank you!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Didn't expect to update so soon but I found this chapter much easier to write than the last one so please let me know what you think of it and thank you for all the reviews so far!**

…**.**

"I could half the bathroom and put a dividin' wall up which would make a kitchen. Nothin' much but it would do, right? And I can do all the work myself so it would cost nothin'."

Lavon shrugged his shoulders as he and Wade stood in the middle of the gatehouse staring at the bathroom door. Lavon looked around the small space, how Wade lived in here was beyond him and how Zoe ever stepped foot in here was even further beyond him.

"I guess…" Lavon mumbled.

Wade scoffed "Could you at least pretend to be interested in what I am sayin'."

"Well I'm sorry Wade but this all just seems a little pointless."

"Pointless?"

"Yeah. I mean we all know soon enough you and Zoe are gonna be livin' together so why waste time and money on this?"

"Would you stop. Zoe and I are not-"

"Yes you are. You have been sayin' for the past month now that you aren't but I know you are. It's only a matter of time."

Wade swung around to face him "No we ain't."

"Not now but pretty soon when y'all are puttin' the crib together and pickin' out names and paintin' the nursery- which by the way is currently none existent- you'll realise that you and Zoe are meant to do this together."

"Lavon-" Wade said but was interrupted by Zoe knocking on his open front door, much to Lavon's amusement.

"Hey..." she said as Wade turned around to face her, smiling which soon fell once he saw her stomach. Lavon also noticed it, making Zoe feeling suddenly very self-conscious. Wade moved closer to her, his eyes fixed purely on her lower abdomen.

"Doc, your…."

Zoe placed her hand over her slightly swollen stomach "Oh yeah, kinda happened over night." She reached out and placed his hand on the tiny bump causing leaving him speechless. He let out a little laugh through a beaming smile as Lavon watched on, smiling at the moment but also at the complete denial both were in regarding their relationship. It was only a matter of time he thought to himself.

"So I guess this means you guys are gonna have to start tellin' people huh?" He said as Wade and Zoe broke their stare.

"Yeah I guess so..." Wade said in agreement as he looked back down at Zoe "…Have you told your mom yet?"

Zoe winced "I was planning on the baby telling my mom."

Lavon sniggered "Big Z, you gotta tell her."

"I know I do. I just need some time to figure out how I'm going to tell her."

"Think she'll be mad?" Lavon asked.

Zoe looked up at Wade with an uncertain look "I'm not sure." Wade looked back down at her with a sympathetic look on his face. Lavon rolled his eyes as he made his way to the door.

"You two, I just don't know!" He said flustered as he walked through the door "… I'll see y'all later."

Zoe and Wade looked at each other and smiled as Wade found his hand sitting gently on the small of her back. The material against his fingertips was sensational as he found it very hard to step away from her. She held her curled up hand against his chest but soon stepped away, knowing that they were dangerously close to breaking their agreement.

"So…" Wade said as he cleared his throat "… I gotta go to work but I will see you later. Let me know how it goes with your mom." He left his hand on her bent elbow for a moment before making his way to the door.

"Will do." Zoe said nervously as she watched him leave, breathing heavily.

….

Wade knocked against the heavy brown door "Earl!" he called out, but got no response. He hit against the door again hoping for some sign of activity when he heard noise coming from around the back off the house. He jumped down off the porch and around to the back of the house where he saw the doors of Earl's makeshift workshop wide open and sat in front of him was his father. Wade let out a little sigh of relief as Earl noticed his son standing in front of him.

"Next time when you're out here can you put like a sign on the door or somethin'?" Wade demanded as he entered the workshop.

Earl smiled as he placed the saw on the workbench "Why, you think I was lyin' dead inside?"

"Wouldn't be the first time..." Wade mumbled as he leaned against the doorframe "… what ya makin'?"

"Hen house out back is shot, hinges blew off the door yesterday so makin' a few adjustments."

Wade nodded his head as he examined the work sitting in front of his father "Probably want to replace that wire too, lookin' a little worn."

Earl smiled as he lifted a roll of chicken wire from the ground beside him "One step ahead of ya son." He ripped the old layer of wire off the frame of the house and threw it into a corner as he ordered Wade to stand in front of him. He handed Wade one side of the wire as he unravelled the rest and shaped it around the wooden frame. He ordered Wade to tug at the wire, ensuring it covered the frame completely and was tight enough no hens could escape. Father and son worked together until Earl had hammered 4 nails in each corner respectively and then gave Wade the job of cutting off the remaining bits of wire which he then threw to the ground.

"Looks good…" Wade said to his father proudly "… want me to bring it down and attach it?"

Earl shook his head "Nah, needs a wipe down then Mae was talkin' bout paintin' it or somethin'… so I'll leave it here."

Wade laughed a little "Well alright. Things seem to be goin' good with her."

"They are, slow and steady, almost 5 months sober too and I owe it all to her. How about you and the pretty doctor. Things goin' well?"

Wade smiled "Depends how you define 'well'…" Earl raised his eyebrow as he watched his son step away from him, looking nervous. Wade looked down at his shoes as he sighed, reaching into his back pocket "… Zoe and I, well- she's pregnant." Wade expected to have a feeling of fear and nervousness inside of him once he told his father the news but instead he found himself with the biggest smile on his face. He felt happy and proud to finally tell someone else about his huge news.

"Is that right?" Earl said, looking up at his beaming son. Wade nodded his head as he handed him the ultrasound image that at this stage was starting to become a little crinkled as it had been folded up and reopened so many times. Earl took it from him slowly as his eyes locked with the image.

"This one was from a few weeks ago, can't really see much but we're goin' again on Monday so hopefully we'll see more then…"

Earl was lost for words; he had never heard his son speak so proudly about anything else in his life. He kept trying to find the right words but he couldn't. It just looked so perfect and suddenly it felt like just yesterday he was looking at his wife's first scan, of Wade.

"I don't know what to say… my boy's gonna be a daddy."

Wade smiled as he folded the picture back up and placed it back in his pocket "So now you got one more reason to stay sober… grandpa."

Earl laughed a little as his emotions took hold of him. He sniffed a few times and they stayed at bay but Wade knew it had affected him greatly; he placed his hand on his father's shoulder and shook it firmly. The tender moment between the two lasted for a few minutes until Wade's phone rang out from his front pocket. He pulled it out to see Zoe's name on the screen. He stepped outside of the workshop as Earl, still on a high, began tidying up around him.

"Hey Doc, everythin' okay?"

"_My mom is coming to Bluebell!"_ she screamed down the phone at him in a state of panic.

"What?! Well of course she is. You told her over the phone that I knocked you up and now she's comin' down here to kill me."

Zoe shook her head _"I didn't get the chance to tell her. I was about to but then before I knew it she had booked a flight. She gets in tomorrow afternoon."_

"How long she stayin' for?"

"_Just a night I think. Wade she knows something is up, I can feel it. My mom doesn't just hop on a plane to Alabama to visit me."_

"Probably cause you don't just call her to chat." He blurted out, admitting that was the wrong time to bring that up.

Zoe scoffed _"Wade, will you please just meet me later on so we can devise a plan or something."_

Mixed amongst all the joking and wit, Wade could hear the anxiety in Zoe's voice and the smile on his face fell "Of course I can and hey Zoe, don't worry. Everythin' is gonna be fine."

….

Zoe paced over and back across her bedroom floor as her clasped hands sweat ferociously. Each time she heard the slightest rustle or bang she rushed to the window to expect to see a car pulled up and her mother stepping out. But each time she was denied.

"Doc, ain't you ever heard 'bout the watched pot that never boiled" Wade joked as he sat on the bed after being forced to sit there quietly for the past hour. Zoe shot a look over at him which told him she was in no mood for jokes. She began pacing over and back once again as he watched her.

"You're gonna make yourself sick."

"I've already been sick, this morning." Zoe shot back as they suddenly both heard the tires against the gravel as Zoe went to the window, half hidden by the curtain.

"She's here!" She turned back to face Wade who had stood up "… Okay, okay just keep calm."

"I am calm." He said as he watched Zoe run her fingers through her hair.

"I was talking to myself Wade! Oh she is going to freak out. Wade I can't tell her, we should just revert to the plan where they baby tells her."

Wade watched her freak out and decided the best thing to do was place both his hands on her shoulders, forcing her to look at him. "Look at me, just relax ok. I am right here." He stroked his knuckles up and down her arms as she slowly calmed down when she heard a knock at the door. She looked at Wade once more who gave her a comforting smile. She peeled herself away and slowly opened the door.

"Mom!" she exclaimed in an almost painful tone as Wade stood behind her. Almost immediately her mother pulled her in for a hug but the minute her eyes fell on Wade she let her grip go.

"Wade, what a nice surprise."

Wade could only smile "Great to see you again Mrs Hart." He ventured closer to them as Zoe kept that anxious smile on her face "Can I get your bags?"

"That's alright. I had the driver leave them in the hall."

Wade nodded his head as he stepped back, Candice noticed his movements "No need to stand so far away, I don't intend on slapping you again."

"Oh you might…" Zoe said to herself as Wade laughed awkwardly "… so mom, not that I'm not delighted to see you… but what are you doing here?"

Candice shut the door behind her as she took notice of Zoe's baggy shirt "Well when you called, I said to myself I have not been to Bluebell in months and had simply no idea what was going on in my daughter's life."

"So you just hopped on the first plane out!" Zoe said awkwardly as she found herself standing closer and closer to Wade.

"That I did. So, tell me. What is going on? It seems a lot has changed since I was last here…" her eyes fell on Wade who was now centimetres away from her daughter "a lot." She emphasised, making Wade feel extremely uncomfortable.

Zoe looked up at Wade "Well mom, I'm actually glad you came because I have something to tell you."

"And what might that be." Candice said suspiciously, still examining Wade with her stares.

Zoe swallowed hard "Well…" she felt her throat tighten and her palms sweaty "… I'm pregnant."

Candice smiled, not the reaction Wade nor Zoe were expecting. There was a minute's silence, Candice gathering her thoughts and Zoe wanting to curl up and cry. Candice breathed in and then looked over at Wade.

"So you mean to tell me that in the space of a year and a half, you have broken my daughter's heart, played house with her cousin and the minute she and Joel split up there you are ready to hurt her all over again and now you're telling me you got her pregnant!"

"Well it didn't happen like that." Wade said trying to defend himself.

"It sure sounds like it." She said angrily.

"Respectfully Mrs Hart-"

"Respect?! You have the nerve to talk to me about respect? Thanks to you I have a daughter about to become a single mother! You don't know a thing about respect."

"Actually." Zoe interjected, who was in full on panic mode at this stage "… that's not true. Wade and I are together."

"What?!" Candice echoed.

"Yeah, what?" Wade mumbled to her as she laughed awkwardly.

"Mom, Wade and I are together and have been together for a while now. This was not some mistake or something we regret. I am in love with him." Zoe locked her hands with his, squeezing it as a plea to play along which Wade duly did. He hooked his arm over her shoulder, kissing her on the top of her head. Candice nearly dropped dead in front of them, she thoroughly believed Wade was out of Zoe's life for good and now that idea of him being in her life forever, sat uneasy with her.

"And you're sure it's his?"

"Mom!" Zoe shrieked as Wade's face dropped. He understood that she was shocked and probably less than happy that Zoe was having a baby with him but she was edging closer and closer to a place she didn't want to go. She could say anything she wanted about him and his past mistakes but when it came to his baby, his child… he was having none of it.

"Mrs Hart I know you are tryin' to take all this in but I think it's best you stop before you say somethin' you can't take back…." He removed his arm from Zoe's shoulder "… I need to get back to the Rammer Jammer but I'll see you later…" He placed a kiss on Zoe's head and made his way to the door "… Mrs Hart." He muttered as he passed her and couldn't have gotten out the door fast enough.

Zoe shook her head as the door slammed, she looked back over at her mom "There was no need for that mom."

"I don't care. Do you or do you not remember the pain that _boy _put you through? And now you expect him to bring a child into this world with you?"

"Yes mom I remember, but Wade has changed, we both have and we want to do this, we want to raise this child together. I love him and he loves me."

"How do you expect him to provide for you? Where are you going to live because you certainly can't live here for the rest of your lives and-"

"We'll figure it out. I have faith in Wade, I know he can do this with me, that he wants to do this with me so will you please let him off the hook."

Candice shook her head "He will always be the boy who broke your heart to me."

….

Wade deliberately avoided Zoe and the carriage house for the rest of the evening. He was in no mood for yet another hammering from Zoe's mom so once he finished work he headed home with a 6-pack of beer under his arm. To his surprise he found his door slightly ajar, seen as burglaries in Bluebell were as common as snowstorms he knew it could only be one person and to no surprise when he pushed open the door he saw Zoe curled up on the couch.

"Hey Doc." he said quietly as she sat up.

"Hey.." she pushed the blanket off her as he closed the door "… sorry about this but my mom is staying in my house and she presumed I was staying with you cause of that little lie I told and I was going to stay in Lavon's but he's having some poker night with all his college buddies and the cigar smoke and-" she was interrupted with his soft chuckle as he took a seat beside her.

"Doc, it's okay. You are welcome here anytime, you know that."

Zoe let out a sigh of relief "Okay good, cause I've already taken off my heels so I wasn't going anywhere!"

Wade laughed as he looked down at her feet "Yeah how long do you intend on wearin' those?"

"Until it's physically impossible. Then I'll just be a small fat lady."

Wade smiled as he shook his head "Well I won't think you're small or fat."

"Why thank you." Zoe said, replicating his sweet tone.

"Well that's what boyfriends are for…" he said in a cheeky tone as Zoe gasped, hiding her face behind her hands.

"Wade, I am so sorry for that. I panicked and it just came out of my mouth. I really-"

Wade placed his hand on her lap "Zoe it's okay, really."

Zoe sunk into the couch, deciding not to discuss the subject any further "I looked for some blankets in the press where they normally are but couldn't find any so I took this one off your bed, I hope that's okay."

Wade looked back at his bed and then back at her "You're not sleepin' on the couch Doc."

"I'm not kicking you out of your own bed Wade."

"No you're not, but you're also not sleepin' on the couch, come on."

Zoe looked over at the bed, the idea of the two of them in bed together appealed greatly to her but she knew it would have been wrong and would just confuse things between them and they had just seemed to have found their rhythm.

"Wade I don't think that is the best idea…"

"As your boyfriend… I insist, you are not sleepin' on the couch now please stop bein' so stubborn, I am exhausted."

Zoe gave in, not that it took much convincing as she rose from the couch with the blanket in hand. Wade locked the door and dimmed the light before going into the bathroom where Zoe heard the tap run. She spread the blanket across the bed, out of habit she walked over to the right side of the bed, as that was once her side of the bed. She propped the pillow up and pulled back the blanket, slowly slipping in under it. Once her head hit the pillow her body was at ease. It had been a long, stressful day and the idea of bed sounded amazing to her, but the idea of bed with Wade sounded ten times better. A few minutes later Wade emerged from the bathroom, his eyes fell immediately on Zoe in his bed; it felt amazing having her back no matter how hard he tried to play it cool. He peeled off his shirt and slipped off his jeans. Zoe tried not to look but she couldn't help herself. He knew she was looking at him but he didn't show his delight. He flicked the light switch on the wall and suddenly they were in darkness as he joined her in the bed.

There was a minute's silence.

"You better have changed the sheets."

Wade laughed "I actually did."

Zoe smiled and even through the darkness Wade could see her beaming. She turned on her side to face him.

"Feels like forever since you were in this bed…" Wade blurted out, immediately regretting his brutal honesty.

"Hmmm…" Zoe rubbed her hand across her stomach "… feels like 3 months to me." She giggled, causing Wade to laugh a little also.

"3 months and 2 weeks."

"Ah yes…" she said smiling as the mood between them was comfortable and calm. They lay there in silence, both content, both happy.

"Wade I feel awful about earlier with my mom, the stuff she said… it was out of line."

Wade looked down at her "It was all true though. No matter what I do, she will always see me as the guy that hurt you."

Zoe propped herself up, her tone serious "She's my mom but you and this baby are the two most important people in my life and believe me when I say this, I don't see you as the person she sees you as…. And I also know that you are in this 100% with me, so what she thinks doesn't matter, at least not to me."

"Now who's the one makin' all the speeches…" He said softly as Zoe giggled, she knew that was his way of saying thank you.

Zoe, who suddenly was not as tired as she thought and didn't want this night to end, lay back down on the bed, her eyes still fixed on him "I completely forgot to ask how it went with Earl yesterday, how did he react?"

Wade smiled "He was speechless, couldn't have been happier. I think it's really gonna help with keepin' him sober too..."

Zoe was genuinely happy "Wade that's great, at least one this baby's grandparents was happy to hear about it."

Wade's hand darted across and rested on her hip "Hey, Zoe… your mom is happy about this, I promise. It will just take her a bit of time. She'll come around eventually."

"You think?"

Wade brushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear "Yeah, only an idiot would wanna miss out on this kids life."

Zoe smiled "Thank you, Wade."

"Anytime Doc... now get some sleep. You have a jam packed day with your mom tomorrow." His hand slowly made its way down her body and onto her swollen stomach. She never flinched, she just lay there as they both took in the moment. Wade gazed at her through the darkness and thought to himself, was he crazy for trying to think this arrangement was what either of them wanted? Was he crazy for actually thinking that he could be around her and their child and want nothing more than to be with them in every way possible? Maybe Lavon was right, maybe they were just delaying the inevitable but there was still that small part of his mind that was gnawing at him, that small part that just wouldn't go away.

….

"There is no convincing you to come back to New York is there?"

Zoe shook her head "The answer is still no, mom. And when Wade comes out here can you please be nice to him?

"I don't approve of a cheater being the father of my grandchild."

"You're one to speak!" Zoe spat back at her, still trying to keep her voice at a whisper.

Candice rolled her eyes, looking around the Rammer Jammer. So far there was no sign of Wade but the bar was busy for lunchtime. Every time a customer walked through the door they glanced at Candice and Zoe. The tables buzzed with conversation about what her mother was doing here and in the Rammer Jammer, fuelling the rumours that her and Wade could be back together.

"Do they know yet?" Candice asked in hushed tones after noticing Dash and Tom examining her daughter's every move.

"No… and will you please be quiet. Bluebellians hear everything!"

"Hard to believe that the last time I was here, I was having dinner with you and Joel."

Zoe kept her eyes on the menu, trying her best not to give in to her mother "Yes mom a lot has changed."

"Are you happy?" Candice asked honestly as Zoe looked up from the menu.

Zoe smiled as her eye caught Wade emerge from the kitchen " I am, I really am."

Wade hesitated from interacting with Zoe and her mom given their encounter yesterday but he knew he couldn't hide in the kitchen forever. He slowly approached the table as Candice looked up at him.

"Wade… what do you recommend?"

Wade looked at Zoe, confused at Candice's almost civil manner "Well uh, the Cesar salad is pretty good I guess."

"We'll take two..." Candice said as she shut the menu and handed it back to Wade. Zoe wasn't going to argue with her mother, she had been ordering for her since she was a child, why change now? "… Wade, will you be joining us for lunch?" Wade's eyes widened as Zoe looked over at her mother, even if the offer came in a dull tone, she still offered and it made her happy to know that her mother was at least pretending to try with Wade.

"Uh… yeah, sure." He handed to order to Wanda as he grabbed them all a glass a water and took a seat beside Zoe. The stares of the town now intensifying on the trio.

"So Wade, how's business?" Candice asked, to break the awkward silence.

"It's goin' good. Can't really complain."

The awkward silence overcame the table once more until Zoe's phone rang. Both Wade and Candice watched her take it out of her bag, Zoe sighed.

"It's Brick…" she answered it as Wade sighed, he knew how these phone calls went "… Yes Brick? I'm at lunch, why?"

There was silence as Zoe listened intently to what Brick was saying "Okay, I'll be right there."

She hung up the call and looked over at Wade "Brick needs me over at the practice, I'm so sorry."

Wade shook his head "No Doc it's okay, you go."

"Yes Zoe, go." Candice said in agreement.

"Mom, I'm sorry-"

Candice shook her head "Don't worry about it, I should be getting back to pack anyway."

She's only been here for a day, Wade thought to himself, what does she need to pack?

"I'll be done in time to bring you to the airport…" she turned to face Wade "… I'll talk to you later."

"Sure thing Doc."

Both watched her leave, taking as long as possible before having to look back at each other. Wade sat himself upright as Candice flattened down her skirt, taking a sip at the glass of water. Neither really sure what to say but neither wanting to be the first to leave the table. It was weighing heavily on Candice's mind that it was important to Zoe that she gave Wade a chance and it was important to Wade that they found some sort of happy medium for the sake of Zoe and the baby.

"I should probably get back to Zoe's-" Candice said as she began to stand up.

"Wait!" Wade blurted out, putting his arm out to stop her. She looked at him in shock before sitting back down.

"Mrs Hart I know that you don't make much of me, you only see me as the guy that broke your daughter's heart and I know that I am probably the last guy on this planet that you want as the father of your grandchild but…" he leaned forward, pausing for a moment as his tone changed "… my mom died when I was 10 and my brother skipped town and as you know my dad is an alcoholic, he's doin' good now but that still doesn't change the fact that for most of my life it was just me. I had to do a lot of things by myself and I made a lot of mistakes, screwin' things up with Zoe bein' the biggest one- I'm not blamin' my bad choices on my upbringing but it would have been nice to have someone there to help me and to guide me when I needed it. So trust me when I say this… my child will never have to go through that. I'll make sure that it never feels unloved or unappreciated and it will never ever feel like it can't do anythin' even if everyone around it is sayin' otherwise…"

"Wade-"

"No let me finish please. I love your daughter. I have loved her for an extremely long time and seein' her with Joel damn near killed me because I knew I had lost the best thing that ever happened to me, and it was all my fault and trust me when I say this… I will fight my hardest to make sure she gets to live the life she and our child deserve."

Candice, completely taken aback by what Wade had just said, found herself a tad emotional. She couldn't help but admire him in that moment, she had said some less than complimentary things to him and saw him only as someone who destroyed her daughter's life but seeing him state his case, proving to her that he had changed, she saw the side of him that Zoe saw.

"The last time I've seen Zoe this happy was when you two were together the first time. Even as a child, her face never lit up the way it does when she is around you… If I'm being honest I was surprised you gave up so easily when she was with Joel."

"She's a very stubborn person."

Candice smiled "Yes, she is…." She shifted around in her seat "… I have no doubt that you're going to be an amazing father but you'll know soon enough, that all a parent wants it to know their child is safe."

"Do you think that? That Zoe's safe?"

Candice smiled "I do."

….

Zoe sighed as she threw the final pillow back on the bed, she didn't think it was possible to feel tired while changing bed sheets but apparently pregnancy made it possible. She smoothed out the duvet as she heard the door open behind her open, she looked over her shoulder to see Wade standing there.

"Hey, you just missed my mom. She wouldn't let me drive her to the airport, her car just left a few minutes ago."

"Yeah I think I heard it..." Wade said quietly as he watched her work, Zoe picked up on his almost inaudible tone "Guess I'll catch her next time."

Zoe looked over at him again, dressed in a tank top and shorts with her hair tied back in a high ponytale she looked, in his eyes anyway, effortlessly beautiful.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

Wade smiled at her "Yeah… come here for a second." He held out his hand inviting her in closer "How did the rest of the day go with your mom?"

Zoe shrugged her shoulders "Pretty good, she seemed to really change her tune about us and about you, she even said she was excited about the baby. She even said it has the potential to be extremely good looking."

"That's great Doc…" Wade said, still in that calm and quiet tone. He couldn't help but notice the beaming smile on her face, like the one he had when he told Earl the news. She looked like she was on cloud nine and he was happy about that, all he wanted to do was see her happy.

"So listen…" he cleared his throat "… I've been a real ass these past few weeks."

Zoe raised her eyebrows, Wade had been the furthest thing from an ass these past few weeks which was why she worried about what was to come.

"Since I found out about the baby all I've wanted to do was prove to you that I want this, that I'm excited for this, which I am… you know that I love you, that's never gonna change but I wanted to prove to myself that we could do this together as friends because I didn't want you to think that if we got together it would be just because of the baby… but I can't do that anymore."

"Wade…"

"Zoe I love you and yes one of the reasons I want to be with you is because of our child but there are also a thousand more. I hate thinkin' about the future and not havin' you in it."

"What are you saying exactly?" Zoe asked, having a small idea of what he was getting at but afraid to get her hopes up.

"I'm sayin' I want to do this with you… all in."

"All in…" Zoe whispered to herself, their bodies now touching. She nearly had to pinch herself to make sure this moment was really happening but the longer she waited the more doubt crept into Wade's mind and the more likely he was to start pulling away. She looked up at him, placing her hand on his arm that was now hooked around her back. She gave him a quick smile before pushing herself up onto her tippy toes, bringing her head closer to his. He met her half way and soon enough their lips were touching and the rest just fell into place. Wade couldn't help but smile as he felt her arms wrap around her neck. As he held her he made a promise to himself, a promise that he would love and protect her til the day he died and would fight tooth and nail to give his family a life they could be proud of…

…**.**

**There you go! Please let me know what you thought! Thank you.**


	5. Chapter 5

**This update took a little longer than expected but anyways here it is. Feedback is greatly appreciated so please let me know what you think of it. Thanks!**

**Also a shout out to C and F. Thanks for the support.**

…**.**

"Cheese." Zoe said confidently.

Wade nodded his head as he cut a slice from the block of cheese and placed it on the bread. He then looked up to see a very unconvincing gaze from Zoe.

"What?" he asked as she cringed.

"I changed my mind, I don't want any cheese."

Wade sighed "So you don't want cheese or any type of meat-"

"It makes me sick…" Zoe said sweetly, trying to defend her choices.

Wade rolled his eyes, he just couldn't stay mad at her but he also couldn't spend 3 hours making her lunch. "Okay so what would you like on your sandwich? Just cheese?"

"Soup."

"On your sandwich?"

Zoe smiled "No..." His innocence was adorable to her "… Just soup, no sandwich."

Wade glanced down at the half prepared sandwich in front of him and let out a conceded sigh as he began to pack the food away in their respectable packets. Zoe watched on smiling, the sight of the sandwich that almost was made her gag and although she wasn't quite sure how well her body would receive the soup she owed it to Wade to at least try finish one meal he had prepared for her. He searched the cupboards for the cans of soup almost at a fast pace as he feared she would change her mind once again.

"Vegetable?" He asked as he held the can in her direction.

"Yes please." She answered, watching him force open the tinned can and pour the contents into the saucepan. Wade kept his head down as he focused on adjusting the heat and didn't notice Zoe peel away from her seat at the counter and come up behind him. The minute he felt her hands ride up along his back and then wrap around his ribcage Wade dropped his head and smiled as the wooden spoon dropped from his grip and twisted his body around to face her. Zoe's grip never faltered as he turned and once they were face to face she was able to reach up and kiss him. He didn't protest and kissed her back instantly. The feel of his skin against hers made her giddy as she couldn't help hide her delight. It bothered neither of them that Lavon was upstairs and could've walked in at any moment.

Wade pulled his lips away from hers but their foreheads still glued together "You keep surprisin' me like that Doc and I'll forget about all your crazy food requests."

Zoe giggled as she curled her arms around his neck "When do you have to be at work?" Her finger trailed off down his shirt as his eyes widened, fully aware of her proposition. He chuckled in frustration as she pecked at his lips.

"Well the sandwich makin' has set me back a bit…" he joked as Zoe giggled once more "… but I got some time."

Zoe kissed him once more "Well good cause your soup is bubbling over."

Wade looked over his shoulder to find the liquid contents bubbling away, he jumped to reduce the heat and contain the soup from over flowing as Zoe laughed. She caught Lavon entering the kitchen in the corner of her eye knowing full well he would have a comment on the state of the kitchen. Wade looked up at him and smiled, holding out the plate with two slices of buttered bread that Zoe had turned down.

"Lavon, sandwich?" He offered with a cheeky look on his face. Lavon simply shook his head, not feeling half as cheery as either of his tenants. He made his way straight to the cupboard, pulled out a mug and reached for the coffee pot but was left confused when he found the pot to be bone dry and the filter empty. He looked over at Wade who placed a bowl of soup in front of Zoe.

"Uh Wade, where's the coffee gone? There was a full pot when I left this mornin'…"

Wade took his attention away from Zoe "Oh yeah, I threw it out."

"You did what now?" Lavon asked, stunned.

Wade shrugged his shoulders as he placed the dirty saucepan in the dishwasher "The smell from the pot was makin' Zoe feel sick, there's some instant stuff in the cabinet though."

Lavon looked back over at Zoe, clearly she was enjoying Wade being in paternal mode but when his fatherly instincts began to interfere with his need for coffee he had issues. Wade pointed to the cabinet where there was a jar of instant coffee, that was hardly ever used, and reluctantly placed 2 spoons of coffee into his mug. Lavon was excited about the baby and he was also happy for Wade and Zoe that they were starting this new chapter in their lives… he just wasn't excited that it was going down in his kitchen.

"So don't you guys normally have lunch at the Rammer Jammer?" Lavon asked as he waited for the kettle to boil.

Zoe nodded her head "We do, but since people found out about the baby we've found that…"

"Everyone stares at us." Wade said bluntly, finishing her sentence. Zoe nodded in agreement as Lavon took note.

"It'll die down eventually." He said, trying to reassure them "Well until the kid actually gets here. Then y'all are gonna need 24/7 protection."

"Thanks Mr Mayor." Wade smiling as Zoe looked at the clock on the wall.

"Okay, I have to get back to work..." She brought her bowl to the sink and reached for her handbag. She gravitated back towards Wade who picked at his sandwich "…I'll meet you at the Rammer Jammer at 4. See ya later Lavon." She reached over and placed a kiss on his lips before rushing out of the kitchen after realising how late she was. Lavon watched her leave and waited for the door to close before turning his attention back to Wade.

"What's happenin' at 4?"

"Doctor's appointment." Wade said with his mouth full of chips.

Lavon creased his brow "Didn't you guys just have one like 2 weeks ago?"

Wade washed down the chips with a glass of water in an attempt to clear his throat "We did but the doctor wanted us to come back again."

Lavon's faced dropped "Is everythin' okay?"

Wade played it cool "Yeah 'course. Last time we were there Zoe's blood pressure was a little high or somethin' so she just wants us to come back in and see how it is."

"And you're sure everythin' is fine? With her and the baby?" Lavon asked with dead honesty and concern.

"Healthy as a horse…" Wade said coolly but also trying to convince himself. He smiled at Lavon while he tidied away his plate. He kept his head down to hide his anxiety but Lavon could see right through his front. He studied him for a moment, he admired how Wade was dealing with all of this and how he really stepped up to be there for Zoe and their child in the past few weeks. It certainly made him think and the unimaginable thought of there being something wrong with Zoe or the baby scared him as if it was his child. As Wade was making his way to the kitchen door Lavon cleared his throat.

"Hey Wade."

Wade looked back at him "Yeah?"

"I was thinkin'… we could all do with cuttin' down on how much coffee we drink."

"Lavon, this is your house and your kitchen, the coffee thing was a hormone thing that-"

"Nah it's all good. We all knew Zoe and pregnancy hormones would keep us on our toes besides this is your kitchen too, both you guys and I'm gonna love that baby just as much as you guys..."

Wade smiled, his nerves eased only slightly. He swallowed hard as he rested his hand on the handle of the door "It's gonna be okay right?"

"Everythin' is gonna be fine Wade. Lavon Hayes is positive it will be."

Wade gave a quick smile before walking out and pulling the door behind him feeling slightly more reassured.

….

Zoe looked over at Wade who had his eyes fixed firmly on the small rectangular wooden plaque with a gold sheet placed on it and protected by a glass panelling on it that resting on the bare wall in front of them. Wade tried to make out what was engraved into the gold background but the print was too small. Above the plaque was a picture of three people, in the middle stood their doctor and the people on each side of her stood tall with dark grey suites . All 3 had massive smiles on their faces and their doctor held the plaque in her hand proudly.

"What do you think she won that for?" He asked, still not taking his eyes off the plaque.

Zoe flicked her eyes from him to the wall and then back at him. An office full of baby pictures and plastic models of the female reproductive system and he stares at a plaque? She glanced at the picture once more and shrugged her shoulders.

"I have no idea, none at all." She answered, but he wasn't convinced.

"You think maybe it's cause she delivered a super baby? Like a golden baby? Ooo maybe she delivered George."

Zoe let a little laugh slip as she noticed his facial expression never changed. He looked at her and then down at her stomach before looking back up at the plaque once more.

"Wade…" she reached out for his hand that was resting on the arm of the chair, she took it in hers and held it steadily. He looked over at her, his stomach in knots and his heart racing.

"What is takin' her so long? I mean all she gotta do is read the damn file to see if-"

"Wade." Zoe said, squeezing his hand "You are stressing yourself out which is stressing me out. Everything is going to be fine."

"How do you know? I mean-"

Thankfully for Wade the office door open and both their heads swivelled around to see the doctor enter the room. Wade felt Zoe's grip tighten around his hand except this time is wasn't her calming him it was her looking for his support. Wade watched the doctor take a seat in front of them, his eyes fixed on the brown folder in her hand. He didn't even hear her say hello he was just so focused on what was written in that file.

"Sorry about the delay…" The doctor said sweetly as she flipped through the file, noticing the two panicked faces in front of her "… you two can relax, everything is fine."

Wade let out a massive sigh of relief as she squeezed his hand, this time squeeze of relief. The doctor looked at the sheet of paper in front of her "The ultrasound we just did looks perfect and Zoe your blood pressure is back to normal, I'm putting the last set of test results down to stress."

Zoe looked at Wade and smiled "Well were pretty stressed for a while there…" she said remembering her mom's visit. Wade managed a smile even though he was still a little overwhelmed by the last 10 minutes.

"Now that I've got you both here…" the doctor said as her voice trailed off "… are we interested in knowing the sex of the baby?"

Her question caused Wade to pull himself up straight. He looked at Zoe, his mouth slightly open "You can do that? Like this early on?"

"Only if you want to know."

Zoe nodded her head "Definitely, yes-"

"No." Wade said, his deep voice overshadowing hers completely. Both looked over at each other in surprise of their respective replies. The look in Zoe's eyes was a familiar one to Wade. It was that look of 'what the hell are you doing' and it was glaring him right in the eyes. Wade on the other hand had a look of 'why would you want to know' in his eyes and before they knew it they were both engaged in a tense stare down. The doctor watched on, obviously this wasn't the first time she had come across this situation. She folded up the piece of paper and slipped it into a brown envelope before placing it into her drawer.

"Take some time to think about it and give me a call if you want to know…" she looked over at Wade "… or not."

….

"I can't believe you don't want to know." Zoe stated as she shut the car door behind her. Wade sighed as walked to her side of the car, taking her hand in his. He was surprised it had taken her a full car ride back to Bluebell to bring the topic up; he was expecting her to mention it the minute they left the doctor's office but for some reason her mind seemed elsewhere. He rolled his eyes momentarily until she caught him which prompted him to pick up the pace a little, they continued walking through the plantation on their way to Lavon's as the sun was beginning to set. It was a chilly evening and the fact Zoe wasn't wearing some sort of jumper or coat bothered Wade but he decided not to bring it up in case he set off a layer of hormones on the verge of exploding.

"I never said you didn't have to know, I just said I didn't want to know."

"Aren't you the least bit curious as to whether we're going to have a son or a daughter?"

Wade pulled open the kitchen door and ushered her in "I like the idea of it bein' a surprise."

"A surprise?!" Zoe echoed as Lavon lifted his head from the magazine he was reading. Neither Wade nor Zoe noticed him sitting there as they were so absorbed in their own discussion. He stayed where he was as they continued talking, not arguing just yet but definitely discussing at an intense level.

"Yes a surprise." He reached for a beer from the fridge as Zoe scoffed.

"A surprise? It's either going to be a girl or a boy. A surprise would be if a golden retriever comes outta there!"

"Don't mock me."

"I'm not. I'm just saying we are going to find out in a few months anyway so why not now so we can be more prepared."

Wade took a slug of the beer as Lavon watched on, getting nothing but pure enjoyment from this conversation "Look Zoe, I ain't sayin' that you can't know, You can call the doc right now if you want but I don't want to know."

"You are just being plain awkward."

"Zoe would you listen to me and not your stupid hormones! You are more than welcome to know but I don't want to know."

"Fine, I will!" she snapped at him.

"Fine!" he snapped back just as fiercely as she turned away from him.

Zoe curled her hands into a fist, she could feel a wave of overreacting hormones coming on and she knew she needed to get out before things got out of hands. She scoffed at him but all he could do was hold his arms out and shrug his shoulders. She took a deep breath and decided to pay AB a visit in hope of finding someone who shared the same mind set as her. Wade didn't even bother chase her out the door, he knew she needed time to herself and if their stubbornness came together much longer it would escalate into something worse. The door slammed shut as Wade turned to Lavon. His eyes bulged the moment he saw his friend sitting there with a massive smile splashed across his face.

"Oh Lavon, didn't see ya there." He stood there awkwardly as Lavon chuckled.

"So the bubble has finally burst…"

"What d'ya mean?"

Lavon rose from his seat and got himself a beer from the fridge as Wade's eyes followed him "I mean you and Zoe bein' all blissed out in this expectant parents phase, it was never gonna last."

"I said it before and I will say it again, she is a certifiably crazy person!"

Lavon could only laugh as he watched the frustration pour out of him.

"Is it completely crazy that I don't wanna know the sex until it's born? I am not the only man on this planet who has chosen to wait until the birth of his child to find out the sex."

"It seems crazy to Zoe…"

"No one's stoppin' her from findin' out."

Lavon scoffed "Come on now Wade, you really think Zoe is gonna find out and for the next 5 months she is gonna keep it just to herself?"

"Well she clearly doesn't want to wait."

"Well she is used to getting' want she wants…"

"So you're sayin' I should just find out?"

"No, I'm sayin' you two need to learn how to compromise… and communicate cause it isn't gonna be all kissin' and hand holdin' all of the time."

Wade sighed, Lavon was right no matter how much his pride was roaring at him.

"So everythin' is okay with her and the baby?" Lavon asked, changing the subject.

Wade smiled "Yeah everythin' is fine. The doctor said the high blood pressure was due to stress or somethin' like that."

Lavon smiled and immediately Wade knew why. Just two hours ago he was freaking out over the possibility that there could be something wrong with Zoe or their child and now he was frustrated and agitated. The doctor told them to avoid stress and now Zoe was stressing and it was all his fault, or at least he thought it was.

"I should go find her shouldn't I?"

"Yep..." Lavon answered but Wade was already at the kitchen door by the time the words left his mouth.

….

"I mean, how does someone not want to know?" Zoe proclaimed as she took a biscuit from the plate in front of her. She bit on it angrily as AB took a seat beside her, placing a cup of tea beside the plate of biscuits.

"Well I-"

"Like wouldn't you want to know?" Zoe asked, babbling away to herself.

"Well that would require me to have a baby and a man…"

Zoe cringed once she realised what she had said "I'm sorry AB, I didn't mean-"

"No it's okay. Look Zoe, I think you are makin' too big a deal out of this. The baby is healthy right?"

Zoe's face turned serious as she placed her hand on her growing stomach "Yeah, it's doing great."

"Well then isn't that the only thing that matters? I'm sure it is eatin' away at you, not knowin' whether it's a boy or a girl but don't fall out with Wade over somethin' as small as this."

Zoe felt her throat tighten up and her eyes water as she looked over at AB, she didn't know why this was becoming such a big deal to her, she wiped a tear from her face as AB placed her hand on her knee, trying her best to comfort her friend.

Zoe let out a hopeless laugh through the tears "I don't know why I'm crying over this. You probably think I'm crazy."

AB smiled "You are not crazy Zoe…" Zoe arched her left eyebrow "… okay maybe a little crazy, but you can blame it on the hormones." There was a long pause between the two women. AB watched Zoe wipe under her eyes with a tissue and couldn't help but feel like there was something more to her outburst, no matter how much her hormones were raging, a fight over something as small as this wasn't enough to make her visibly upset- even if it was Zoe. As she made numerous attempts to stop the tears from bubbling in front of her eyes AB plucked up the courage to delve deeper into what was bothering her so much.

"Zoe can I ask you somethin'?"

Zoe looked over at her with those big brown eyes, her silence was enough confirmation for AB.

"Is there somethin' else botherin' you?"

Zoe looked up at the ceiling, trying her best to hold back but she just couldn't do it any longer. "I'm scared…" she admitted as AB gave a comforting smile her way before moving closer beside her on the couch "… I have spent the past two weeks telling Wade that everything is okay, and it is but today when the doctor asked if we wanted to know the sex… it just hit me. This is really happening, in a few months there is going to be another human being that Wade and I are going to be responsible for and that is just so… scary. If we can't agree on something like this how are we ever meant to-"

"Hey stop it, don't think like that. You are only 4 months into an unplanned pregnancy, nobody expects you two to have figured it all out. You have to give it time."

Zoe wiped another tear from her face as slowly AB was getting through to her "I am good at the medical stuff but all the other stuff… I don't have a clue. My parents weren't exactly shining examples."

"You'll learn… and you'll have Wade with you to figure it all out."

Zoe cringed at the sound of his name "he probably thinks I am just the craziest person in the world, hormones or not."

"No he doesn't…" AB said sweetly "…he loves you, he always has. He just wants to see you happy."

Zoe smiled, it was in that moment she realised how lucky she was to have Wade and to have him with her through this whole thing. She didn't appreciate just how much he had done for her until now and she suddenly felt bad. He was dealing with a lot and was clearly feeling the need to protect his family and in the past few weeks that meant dealing with her and her crazy ass. She reached out and placed another biscuit in her mouth as AB noticed her change in mood, she as more relaxed and that weight seemed lifted off her shoulders almost fully.

"I should probably go home to him…" she took another bite of the biscuit "… and get a packet of these because they are amazing."

AB laughed out loud as she watched Zoe scoff the biscuit down, making sure she wasn't missing a single crumb.

"Thank you, AB."

"Anytime Zoe…" she smiled sweetly at her "… now take out that ultrasound and let me see how much my godchild has grown!" she said jokingly but secretly hoping this moment of bonding pushed her up higher on the godparent list.

….

Wade threw a pair of jeans into the box and continued looking through his drawers. Most of his clothes were thrown around his house and the majority of his socks were under his bed yet it surprised him that he had so many clothes completely untouched. He tossed a few more things into the box before turning his attention to the pile of useless crap he had scattered around the place. He was so enthralled in the task he was doing he never noticed Zoe standing at the door. She watched him sort through his stuff with such an intense look on his face.

"Hey there…" she said quietly as he lifted his head.

"Hey… I tried to find you earlier."

"In this massive town…" Zoe quipped as Wade relaxed a little, inviting her in.

"Probably could have looked a little harder I guess." He said sweetly as Zoe smiled, moving closer to him and as if the past hour had never happened Wade placed one had on the small of her back as they kissed softly.

"I'm sorry about earlier… I was acting crazy." Zoe admitted.

Wade kissed her once more "I already know you're crazy Doc." Zoe giggled at his joke as she looked around at the mess around them. The gatehouse was messy, that was not news to her but this time it looked extra messy, as if everything had been pulled out of its place in a hurry.

"What's going on here?"

"Well I'm tryin' to pack stuff into boxes but turns out I have a lot of crap and am no good at packin'…"

"Why are you packing?" Zoe asked as she picked up a raggedy old t-shirt that had dried paint spread across it and smelled like a dog had slept on it. She threw it back onto the bed as Wade sighed, his patience with this 'packing' thing was running thin.

"Well I can't move all this crap into the carriage house and I'm pretty sure you won't want some of this stuff in your house either."

Zoe stopped what she was doing and looked up at him "You still want to move in?"

Wade looked down at her with confusion painted across his face "Why wouldn't I? That's what we decided on wasn't it?"

"Well yeah but I thought since the fight that maybe you-" Wade put his finger to her lips, cutting her off mid-sentence. Zoe wasn't really sure what to expect from him but when she saw a smile come across his face she soon became the confused one.

"Doc, we are gonna have a million fights… doesn't mean I love you any less. I still want us to live together."

"I want that too." She said with a beaming smile on her face, Wade took the opportunity to plant his lips on hers for a moment.

"And hey about earlier…" he said pulling away "… I think we should call the Doctor and find out the sex."

"You do?" Zoe questioned him in a happy but cautious tone.

"Yeah…" He brushed his thumb across her face as she moved her body into his "… If we find out now or 5 months from now it won't matter because whether it's a girl or a boy I'm gonna love it and protect it and I am goin' to do everythin' I can to make sure it is safe and happy."

There was a brief silence between them as Zoe looked up at him, there were moments when he made her heart race and this was one of those moments, she couldn't find the words to convey just how much she loved him. She gripped at his shirt as she felt the soft touch of his hand on her back.

"No." she stated as his mouth dropped.

"But you just-"

"I know, but you are right…" she placed her hands on her stomach while looking up at him "…all those things you just said, that is what I want and that isn't going to change if I know now. Besides this whole thing was a surprise so why not throw in one more before it's over."

Wade let out a small laugh as he looked down at her "Are you sure?"

"Yes, I am."

Wade cupped her face in his hand as he pressed his lips against hers "I love you Zoe…"

"I love you too Wade…" She rested her hand on his wrist as he continued to kiss her "… what do you say we put the packing aside for a while…" she kissed him once more as he laughed, knowing full well what she was hinting at.

"Yeah?" he asked as she only nodded, lettin him lead her towards the bed, both with massive smiles on their faces. The mess didn't matter to Zoe because in her eyes as long as they could find their way through it then she knew everything would be just fine.

…

**So there you have it! Please let me know what you thought, thank you!**


	6. Chapter 6

….

"What if we rented for a while…"

Wade threw the newspaper down on the coffee table and sighed "We're rentin' now…"

"I know but what if we rented somewhere else and then when we have enough money we can buy a house."

"Then why bother movin' off the plantation? We get rent pretty cheap as it is, goin' somewhere else would just cost us more."

Zoe sighed as she curled her legs up onto the couch as Wade repositioned himself so she could slot into the space beside him. She could feel the frustration coming off him as although he had his arm around her, his mind was elsewhere.

"We can't stay here Wade, the carriage house is too small… it doesn't even have a kitchen…." She looked down at the newspaper "… there were some _nice_ ones in our price range." She said, trying to convince both him and herself that any of the houses for sale in their price range were remotely close to what they wanted.

"They were all crap…" Wade said bluntly as he picked the paper up again and flick through it to find the property page once again "… I guess the stuff for rent isn't too bad. It would only be for a while, right?"

Zoe sighed once more as she watched Wade reluctantly scan the page for homes in Bluebell to rent. She hated seeing him like this. The need to provide and protect for his family was really starting to get the best of him as every little thing he did came with the afterthought of finance. She didn't want to force the conversation too much because she knew Wade was a prideful man and she didn't want to offend him but she was worried about him. She never wanted him to feel like the weight of the world had to rest on only his shoulders but it seemed like every day he was becoming more and more stressed over their future.

"I guess… but Wade I don't want you to worry about this right now, we have time."

Wade shook his head "I don't want us doin' all this 3 or 4 months from now plus we gotta factor in-"

"Wade." Zoe said interrupting him by putting her arm across his body "… can we please not talk about this tonight. It's been a long day." It took her a minute or two to convince him to drop the paper but once she looked up at him with those great big brown eyes of her he was sold. He threw the paper down on the coffee table once more but this time he kicked his feet up as well, much to Zoe's dismay at the fact his dirty socks were on resting on her spotless coffee table. She didn't comment on it though instead she moved in closer to him as his outstretched arm invited her into him. Resting her head on his chest she felt safe and secure, like there was nothing to worry about… no need to worry about money or finding a place to live, just the two of them- happy.

"How was your day?" he asked softly, looking down at her.

"Long, I ended up having to go see a patient in Mobile and it took forever… I'm exhausted. Oh and my mom called, I didn't have time to talk to her but she said she had something to talk to me about, so I have that to look forward to."

Wade became concerned as his brow creased "You know you should probably take it easy, get Brick to do the long shifts."

Zoe rolled her eyes and smiled "Wade I am pregnant not elderly, it was just a long day that is all."

Wade was too exhausted in his own right to dispute the matter so all he did was smile and place a light kiss on the top of her head. Zoe felt her eyes closing slowly as silence overcame them, her head dipped but she soon stopped herself once she remembered it was only 7 o'clock and if she slept now she would be up all night. Just then remembered her purchase whilst in Mobile and suddenly got a wave of energy she didn't knew she had.

"I forgot, I got something in Mobile today…" She propped herself back up "… pass me that bag please" she said pointing the brown paper bag resting a foot away from Wade's reach. Wade stretched out, pulling the bag closer to him and then handed it to Zoe who suddenly looked bubbly and excited. Wade watched as Zoe excitedly pulled a white box out with a detailed picture of two baby monitors place between a content sleeping baby. Wade looked at the box and then back at Zoe who had a big smile on her face.

"How much did this cost?" He asked as Zoe's smile vanished.

"Wade…" she groaned as she clutched at the box.

"I'm sorry but this looks expensive."

"It's a long term investment… see this one has a camera so we can put it beside the baby's crib, cool huh?"

"There's no point because at this rate we'll still be livin' here and the kid will be sleepin' in a shoebox at the end of the bed."

Zoe rolled her eyes at his semi-sarcastic comment, she could tell that while his reply was dramatic it was also him voicing their financial strain.

"It was on sale by the way. I was walking by one of those baby stores and saw it in the window and realised I actually have a reason to go in there now…" she rubbed her hand across her stomach "… anyway the woman in the store said these monitors are the best-"

"Of course she did, she wants you to buy the most expensive one. Why do we even need one? Babies are loud we'll just hear it, we don't need this thing."

Zoe huffed, she understood that Wade was stressed and was worried about money and the baby's arrival in general but if his stress was going to get in the way of the two of them getting excited and preparing for the baby, then she was going to shut it down.

"Okay you need to get out, go somewhere." She said as she began to push him in the direction of moving from the couch.

Wade looked at her in confusion, she didn't seem angry yet she was kicking him out "What, why?"

"Because you are too stressed about everything and you shouldn't be. Go drink with Lavon or George. Just go relax."

"Beer costs money."

"Well then drink water." She shoved him once more until he eventually hopped to his feet, scoffing to himself. He seemed a bit miffed as he searched for his coat and soon made his way to the door, looking back at her once more to see her making a 'shoo' action with her hands.

It was past 2am when Wade arrived home, despite her best efforts Zoe couldn't sleep until she knew he was home safe. He tried his best to be quiet but it proved challenging as alcohol mixed with the darkness of the room was not as easy to conquer as he originally thought. Zoe heard him throw his jacket on the couch and then attempt to kick his boots off but when it came to unbuckling his belt and removing his jeans he had trouble. He wobbled slightly as the jeans dropped to his ankles and eventually he kicked them off to the running commentary of curse words. Zoe listened on, trying her best to keep her shoulders from shaking with laughter. Wade gravitated towards the bed and once he felt the mattress against his thighs he relaxed and flopped onto the bed. They lay there in silence- Zoe eagerly anticipating his next move and Wade trying to figure out if she was awake or not. He exhaled slowly as he turned his body into hers, resting his hand on her hip he moved his head towards her as the smell of beer coming from his breath was enough to make her tipsy.

"Feel better?" Zoe asked quietly, keeping her eyes shut but with a small smile on her face.

Wade's senses jumped once he heard her voice. He smiled, feeling jollier than ever and nodded his head. Zoe's heart eased, knowing Wade was relaxed and for now, stress free. She wriggled around to get comfy again and slowly drifted off to sleep but Wade obviously wasn't done.

"Doc…" he whispered, looking down at her.

"Wade..."

He cleared his throat, trying his best to whisper but occasionally slipping into a higher tone "I know you're sleepin'…" he rubbed her hip lightly "… but you just gotta know that I love you, and I'm sorry about bein' grumpy this evenin', I really am."

Zoe adjusted her body so that she could see him "I love you too Wade." She said in a chipper tone, enjoying fully his current state.

Wade nodded his head "Okay good…" he lay back down but suddenly shot back up again "… and the baby monitor?"

"Did you talk about the baby monitor with the guys?"

"Maybe a little..." he slurred "… but mostly I just talked about how much I love you and our baby and the monitor, I love the monitor and I want our baby to have the best..." He thought to himself for a moment, deep in drunken thought as Zoe watched on "….but the best costs money, a lot of money." His mood changed drastically as he looked to Zoe for support. She gladly obliged and stroked the side of his face with her hand as he thought deeply.

"We're gonna figure this out Wade…" she said sweetly, trying to reassure him but even his drunken-self knew it wasn't that easy "… but right now, you need to sleep because you are going to have a terrible headache in the morning."

Wade giggled and so did she as he lay back down on the bed, his hand remaining on her hip "Yes, I will."

"You will…" Zoe echoed through a tiny whisper as she finally found her eyes close easily and her body at ease. She felt Wade feeling more relaxed beside her and slowly she guided his hand onto her protruding stomach. Wade displayed an honest smile as he gladly held her as slowly they both drifted off to sleep.

….

Wade groaned as the noise of the ringing phone continued in his ear. He tried lifting his head but it was just too difficult. Every bone in his body hurt and his head was throbbing. He opened his eyes only slightly as the ringing continued. Shutting them again slowly he felt Zoe move in the bed and then the ringing stopped.

"Hello…" Zoe said politely as Wade turned onto his back, his stomach churning as he did. He drifted back to sleep and the rest of Zoe's conversation with whoever was on the phone seemed like a million miles away, he only picking up on a few words here and there.

"Wade, come on. Wakey wakey…" Zoe whispered as she rested her hand on his stomach. Wade forced open his eyes to see her sitting on the edge of the bed, looking down at him. He groaned, pulling his arm across his eyes to shield the light.

"Yeah." He mumbled.

"How ya feeling?" She asked in a chipper tone as he tried to move his body but failed.

"I blame you…"

Zoe smiled as she moved his arm from his face "Yeah cause I was the one that made you stay out until 2am with George and Lavon…"

Wade gave a lazy smile "You drive me to drink woman… come here…" he propped himself up as he guided her towards his body. He didn't care how badly his head hurt or how queasy he felt, he was taking every opportunity to kiss the girl he loved. Zoe gladly obliged and soon for her lips on his and despite the strong stench of alcohol she had no problem kissing him.

"We are going to be late for work…" Zoe muttered as she tried to help away from his lips.

"Hmm, we can be late." He disputed as he dropped her t-shirt strap from her shoulder but Zoe stopped him almost immediately.

"We don't have time for that. We need money more than ever right now so I'm afraid we gotta get to work."

"Ah yes, we're still poor, I forgot." Wade said sarcastically as Zoe smiled.

"At least we're poor together."

Wade smiled "Wouldn't have it any other way. Who was on the phone?"

Zoe's face lit up "My aunt Winifred, she wants to have dinner with us tonight. Wants to talk to us about something."

"She does?"

Zoe nodded her head "Yes and I told her we would love to have dinner with her."

"We would?"

Zoe giggled "Yes, we would. So I said around 6:30. Is that okay?"

"Yeah that's fine…" He watched Zoe move away "… hey Doc."

Zoe stopped in her tracks and looked back at him "Yeah?"

"Maybe we could go visit that baby store tomorrow, together?" Zoe knew from the tone of his voice it was him asking because he wanted to be a part of this but also apologising for his reaction last night. She smiled at him which was confirmation for him that things between them were good. He watched her walk across the room and into the bathroom as he let out a long drawn out breath. He knew if he shut his eyes once more then he would never get up so slowly but surely he pulled himself out of the comfort of the bed. The cold floorboards stung the balls of his feet as he struggled to find his balance, staggering towards the couch where Zoe had moved his jeans to. The box containing the monitor caught his eye almost immediately. He picked it up and took a proper look at it, the sleeping baby looked so peaceful yet to him it looked terrifying.

….

"Your head hurtin' as much as mine?"

Wade looked up to see George sitting in front of him, looking like he had just woken up. He gave a weak grin as he filled up George's cup with fresh coffee.

"Shoulda never opened that second bottle of gin man, thought I was gonna die this mornin'… I don't even know if Lavon made it home alive."

George chuckled "We're gettin' old huh?"

"Tell me about it… and I gotta go have dinner with Zoe and her aunt tonight."

"Nothin' says serious relationship like dinner with the fam…" George said as he caught Earl walk through the door "speaking of…"

Wade lifted his head to see his father venturing closer to him. George took his cup of coffee and hopped off the stool as Earl approached the bar, slowly climbing onto a stool as Wade greeted him with a tired smile.

"Mornin' Earl… you want some coffee?"

Earl examined his son, the black bags under his eyes, his hair long and pushed to one side and his skin looking extremely pale. He was no stranger to that look and had sympathy for his son especially given the noise level of the Rammer Jammer on this particular morning. He gladly accepted the beverage from his son who handed an order of food to one of the waitresses so he could focus all of his attention on his father. He rested his weight on the counter top in an attempt to stop his head from burning inside his skull.

"Can't say I'm not totally unfamiliar with that look…"

Wade lifted his head high enough for Earl to see his unimpressed facial expression.

"That was a joke- a bad one."

Wade only grunted "How you been?"

"Pretty good, finally caught that damn possum that was runnin' cross the roof, took near 4 damn hours."

"Yeah? "

Earl took a sip of coffee, nodding with pride "How's the Doctor?"

"She's doin' good…"

"And my grandchild?"

Wade's face lit up "Yeah, it's doin' great…" he propped himself up a bit "… hey Earl can I ask you somethin'?"

"Sure." Earl said confidently, feeling overjoyed that his son was turning to him for advice.

Wade cleared his throat, still not used to having this sort of conversations with his father "When Jesse and I were younger… did you have one of those baby monitor things? You know to put beside the crib?"

Earl chuckled "Never, I heard ya cryin' I went and got ya. Why?"

Wade nodded his head "Well it's just Zoe got one of them, the baby monitors and it's got a camera and everythin' on it but…"

"But…"

"It costs a lot. Everythin' cost so much and it ain't just the monitor… it's the crib and the stroller and the diapers. You see how much a packet of those things cost? I reckon we should revert back to the cloth ones, save a hell of a lot of money."

"Babies do cost a lot…" Earl said adding to the conversation, taking in everything his son was saying.

"And all that plus the fact we wanna find our own place… I knew it would be expensive just not this expensive."

"You guys find anythin' you like?"

Wade winced "There's one, you know that one around the corner from the plantation? But it's out of our price range and the ones in our price range are… not exactly hot property, I mean none of them are health hazards but them of them stand out."

Earl nodded, he could tell by the tone of Wade's voice just how much this was troubling. He understood completely Wade's need to protect and provide for his family and he also understood his frustration when he couldn't do so or at least not fully. Earl didn't want to push the situation as slowly he watched the worry in his son's eyes grow.

"I wouldn't worry about it too much son, these things have a way of workin' themselves out…" Earl said in an unusual positive tone as he hopped off the stool, pulling a five dollar bill out of his pocket. He placed it on the countertop and smiled as Wade watched on feeling completely flustered by his father's sudden actions.

"Keep the change!" Earl stated as he darted out of the bar leaving Wade more confused than ever. His eyes followed Earl out of the building as George retook his position at the bar, feeling slightly more alert.

"What was that all about?"

"I'm not really sure… hey you know anyone who needs any work done? You know odd jobs like paintin' or anythin' really!"

George thought for a moment "Not off the top of my head but I can ask around, why?"

"You know, babies cost money and money doesn't exactly grow on trees…"

"So you plan on trimmin' the trees?"

Wade gave a small smile "Exactly. Just let me know if you hear of anythin' alright?"

"Will do."

….

Lavon flipped through the pages of the newspaper in the kitchen, his silent and empty kitchen and he felt uneasy. He had grown accustomed to the noise and buzz that surrounded Wade and Zoe and he knew that their days of sharing a kitchen were running out. He stared up at the clock as it seemed to be the only source of sound. Tapping his fingers against the marble countertop he jumped once the kitchen door swung open and Zoe burst through with Wade following closely behind. Zoe had a frustrated look on her face as she threw her purse on the countertop and Wade slammed the door behind him.

"Hey… it's the Kinsella's!" Lavon said eagerly as Zoe threw him a filthy look "Or not."

"Good evenin' Lavon…" Wade said in an annoying tone directed in Zoe's direction as she clinched her teeth in fury.

Lavon smiled, they weren't gone just yet.

"Don't say good evening to him like that."

"Why not? I can say what I like."

Zoe curled her fists as she tried everything in her power to remain as calm as possible "Well after what happened at dinner I would have to agree."

Lavon cocked his head, making it clear that he was not going to give them any privacy "What happened at dinner?"

Wade sighed as he pulled a beer from the fridge and popped it open with his thumb. Zoe looked over at him and rolled her eyes.

"Dinner with my aunt tonight was her offering us her house… and Wade said no thank you. No thank you! NO THANK YOU!" she replayed the moment over and over in her mind as her anger continued to bubble to the surface. Wade only shrugged his shoulders as Lavon cringed, knowing she was on the verge of exploding at any minute.

"Doc can we not talk about this right now?"

"Oh no, we're talking about this now. How could you do that?! She was giving us that house, I love that house."

Wade placed the bottle of beer on the counter as he straightened himself up a bit, Lavon noticing how the moody changed from a sarcastic come funny dispute to a serious discuss. Zoe waited for his explanation and Wade decided to give as good as he was getting.

"I wasn't gonna just let your aunt give us a house, like charity."

"It wasn't charity! She said that house was perfect for us, that a family deserved that house and we're that family Wade! And I know she meant it because last time-"

Wade shook his head as Zoe stopped immediately, knowing exactly what she had let slip "You mean last time when you were playin' happy families with Joel?"

Lavon cringed as Zoe tried to explain herself, her tone softening a little "I didn't mean for it to come out like that. Look Wade my point is, there will be times when we need to put our pride aside and realise that it is okay to accept some help."

Silence fell across the kitchen as Wade and Zoe stared at each other, Lavon also watched on, he knew exactly what was racing through Wade's mind and he felt for him. Perhaps the worst thing about an unplanned pregnancy was having to suddenly find a way to source finance and prepare in ways you didn't expect, for something you didn't expect. Wade stared down at the floor as Zoe watched on, feeling bad about what she had said but feeling worse that Wade seemed to be under the impression that he had to carry this burden alone. He swallowed hard before nodding his head, taking a final look at her before making his way to the door.

"Wade…" she called after him as Lavon looked on sympathetically.

"I have somewhere I gotta be…"

Zoe followed him to the door "Wade please." It was no use though, he closed the door gently behind him leaving Zoe standing there feeling like crap.

"Let him go Zoe…" Lavon said softly from behind her as she turned back around to face him.

"I didn't mean for that to come out…"

Lavon nodded his head as she took a seat beside him. She was feeling deflated and Lavon could sense it.

"You haven't by any chance won the lottery in the past 12 hours have you?"

Lavon smiled "I haven't, but it seems like you guys could do with a win huh?"

"Wade needs a win, I hate seeing him like this. He is just so stressed about everything. I don't even know where he's going, he's just so distant."

Lavon creased his brow "He's gone workin'… you knew that."

Zoe shook her head "He doesn't work Tuesday nights."

"Not at the Rammer Jammer, in Mobile… you know the job George got him? You know, I read somewhere that some women get pregnancy brain, let's just chalk this up to that."

Zoe's eyes scrambled as she tried to piece together what Lavon was saying. Wade never mentioned anything about a job to do with George and he certainly never said anything about going to Mobile "Lavon, I really have no idea what you're talking about."

"Wade asked George if he knew anyone who needed any work done, you know like paintin' or plumbin'… one of George's clients needed his kitchen rewired so George told Wade and Wade said he was headin' out there after y'all had dinner. I'm sure he told you."

Zoe sighed "This is hard Lavon, harder than I thought."

"You're not alone Zoe, Wade- well he, it's in him to want to provide for you and the baby and it can't be easy for him right now, especially not when he's bein' offered a house that you once wanted to live in with Joel."

Zoe cringed "That was real stinker huh?"

"It really was… he'll get over it." He placed his hand on hers as she began to melt "… and you guys will get over this too, it will all work itself out."

"How do you know that?"

Lavon smiled "Because I, Lavon Hayes, knows that his two best friends have overcome a lot of things and this is just one more to add to the list and they will work extra hard because they want the best for my godchild…"

Zoe let out a little laugh as she wiped away a tear that had escaped "Thank you Lavon…"

"Anytime."

….

Wade stared down at the gash on his forearm and cringed. He had managed to get the bleeding under control but the trail of where the nail caught him had continued up his arm. His clenched fist was stained in with blood as he heard the door behind him open, he knew it was Zoe, it was only a matter of time before she found him and admittedly he didn't pick the best hideout – he still had the key for the gatehouse and knew that Lavon still hadn't moved his bed and his couch out. The lights were dimmed and it didn't take Zoe long at all to see him sitting on the couch but once she saw the gaping wound on his arm she rushed right over to him.

"Wade, what happened?!" She asked frantically as she took a seat beside him, pulling his arm towards her. He winced as the pain surged through his arm and up into his shoulder.

"It's just a scratch."

"Yeah from a panther… where did you get this?"

"I didn't see the nail, it was halfway in before I pulled away, but it isn't that bad."

Zoe sighed, his dull and distance tone bothered her but she didn't comment on it, instead she examined the wound as it began to bleed again. She stood up and walked over the big corner cabinet and pulled open the door, Wade looked on with interest as there was nothing in those cabinets anymore but to his surprise she pulled out a red first aid bag and then went to bathroom and filled a bowl with warm water. He watched her every move until she returned to the couch. She pulled apart some cotton wool and placed it into the water as Wade moved his arm out towards her. Zoe gently placed the damp clump of wool in the wound as he winced.

"I put that first aid bag in your cabinet after that incident with the broken glass, I had a hunch it would still be in there…"

Wade couldn't deny it, she saved him at the best of times. She began to wipe away the blood as he winced once more.

"Sorry…" she said as he cringed with pain.

"Don't hurt that bad." He said in an attempt to mask his pain.

Zoe shrugged off his obvious lie and continued to clean out the wound "You know when we do buy a house we'll have to make sure it has a room you can go to when I piss you off, because you can't run off to the gatehouse all of the time."

Wade sighed "You didn't piss me off Zoe, I'm just so sick of all this."

Zoe prepared a fresh piece of cotton wool "Sick of what?"

"Not bein' able to provide for you, give you a house."

The disappointment in his voice stabbed her right in the chest, finally he was letting her in and she was stunned, so stunned it took her a moment to form words, at least the right words "Wade I don't ever want you to feel like you have to do all this on your own, we're in this together remember?"

"I know… but I just- I really want you to be proud of where we live and for that house to be a house that you love, like your Aunts house."

Zoe shook her head, she knew that was surely to arise again "Wade what I said earlier was stupid, I never meant for it to come out like that."

Wade sat back in the couch "I just really hate that you had your whole life planned with him… I know it's in the past but still."

He spoke so honestly that it shook Zoe to the core, she knew Wade's feelings on her relationship with Joel but they never really spoke about it nor did they speak about his time with Vivian but she always knew that it was always in a part of his mind, that not so long ago she was planning a life with Joel- even if it was based on the wrong reasons. She put the ball of cotton wool on the table and turned to face him, he looked over at her as she smiled at him.

"You know when I found out that I was pregnant, after the night long freak out, I realised that although it wasn't planned I was relieved it was with you…" she placed her hand on his chest "… this may not have been what we planned but I couldn't imagine doing this with anyone else. I wouldn't want to."

Wade smiled over at her, he started to feel a little more relieved "Yeah… me too."

"So… why didn't you tell me that you were picking up extra jobs?"

"I don't even know, I guess I didn't want to freak out about money… it was stupid."

"It was, like I said we are in this together…" she wrapped a bandage around his wound after deciding it would need stitches but they needed to have a conversation and the stitches could wait "…after you left tonight Lavon and I talked."

"About what?"

"Well it seems Lavon is being very particular about where his godchild should live…" they both let out a little chuckle as Zoe continued "…he said that we can live in the carriage house for as long as we need, rent free. He also said that if we need to do any renovations then we can. I know it's not what we want and it will be seriously crammed but it's better than the alternative which at this point is sleeping on the street."

Wade nodded his head slowly as she continued to speak "I also called my mom back from last night and for weeks now she has been badgering me about what she can get us seen as she can't buy any gender specific clothes, her words not mine, so I told her we needed a crib and she also threw in a changing table as well."

Wade raised his brow but Zoe was quick to step in "And before you call it charity, it isn't. They want to help Wade, they want to contribute to this- this little person that is about to become a huge part of all of our lives." Suddenly Wade felt a huge weight lift from his shoulders and it was not the reaction Zoe was expecting at all.

"I guess we really gotta make him godfather now, huh?" He said smiling as Zoe smiled right back at him. She leaned in and pressed a small kiss on his lips as she felt his body relax against hers. She slowly pulled away as Wade sat up.

"Let's go get you stitched up…" she whispered as she stood up "… and don't even tell me it doesn't need stitches because it does."

Wade groaned as he followed her to the door, flicking the lights off behind them "You sure it won't just close up over time?"

Zoe laughed as he put his unscathed arm around her "You are such a baby you know that?"

"Yeah, yeah… whatever you say Doc.."

…**.**

**Sorry it took so long to update, the next chapter is a continuation of this one so make sure to review and let me know what you thought of it, thanks!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Thanks for those who reviewed the last chapter. I really appreciate it. Anyone who has ever written a fic before knows how important it is to get feedback on their stories so please, please let me know what you think of it. Thanks, and I hope you enjoy this latest chapter!**

…**.**

Wade handed Lavon a full plate of breakfast before turning around to receive two more plates and jagging through the crowded Rammer Jammer to deliver the plates safely at the correct table. He darted over to another table as Wanda delivered two more plates at a separate table. Lavon watched on from the bar, struggling to keep up with how fast Wade was moving. He looked to his left to where Zoe was sitting; her eyes glued to the iPad in front of her. He then looked back at Wade who carried at least 5 plates into the kitchen. Lavon sighed and then sighed a little louder but still got no response from Zoe.

"I love our morning chats…" He said, hoping to get a response from Zoe but all she did was reach out for her cup of tea and guide it towards her mouth. Lavon rolled his eyes as Wade suddenly reappeared in front of him, he sorted away the various receipts and then placed the money in the cash register. He looked down at Lavon's half empty cup of coffee.

"You want some more?" Wade asked as he held the pot of coffee eagerly in his hand.

"Sure…" he watched as Wade poured the warm coffee into his mug, Lavon then looked over at Zoe and back at Wade who noticed the smile on Lavon's face.

"What's got you so happy?" Wade asked as he scribbled something down on a pad and handed it to one of the waitresses who went whizzing by. Zoe looked up from the iPad to see the smile on Lavon's face and then looked over at Wade.

Lavon shrugged his shoulders "This is a nice change of pace, you know normally we have breakfast in the kitchen but I think it's good to change it up a bit, keep us on our toes."

Wade made a face and then looked over at Zoe "You want some more tea?"

Zoe shook her head "No I'm good thanks, I have to get to work soon."

Wade nodded his head "You sure? I could get you some to go."

Zoe smiled as she heard someone call his name from across the bar and she saw that look on his face that was pulling him away from her "Go…" she said smiling as Wade leaned over the bar and kissed her quickly "… I'll see you later." Wade flashed a quick smile in her direction as he rushed out from behind the bar leaving Zoe and Lavon staring at each other.

"He's been pretty busy huh?"

Zoe sipped at her cup of tea "Yeah, you bring the portion of fried shrimp up from 6 to 8 and suddenly the whole towns knocking down your door. Not that I'm complaining, it's great to see the place so busy."

"Well Bluebell loves shrimp."

"Yes they do… the Doctor in me wants to scream though."

"Aw don't tell me you're back on that 'Get Bluebell fit again' thing?"

Zoe giggled "No Lavon, if the town's people want to fill their bodies with fat and salt and grease then let them do it, I will stand by with my unblocked arteries and smile."

Lavon raised his brow as he smiled at the serious look on her face "You want some don't you?"

Zoe dropped her shoulders and cocked her head to the ceiling as she let out a groan of frustration " Oh my God I want some so bad, you have no idea."

Lavon laughed as Zoe let out a groan mixed with laughter "I'm pretty sure there'll still be some in a few months…"

"Hopefully. I've been making a list of the foods I've been craving and plan on eating once the baby is born and the shrimp is definitely top of the list… although the scallops mixed with raw eggs and vodka is a close second."

Lavon laughed "That sounds disgustin'…"

Zoe giggled "It sounded good at 2am okay!? poor Wade spends all day at work and then all night running around getting me ice-cream and crullers, he's a surprisingly tolerant person." She spoke with a sense of pride as Lavon smiled.

"Yeah he is… he still pickin' up those odd jobs?"

"Here and there but he's been so busy lately I feel like I haven't spent more than 10 minutes with him." Zoe fell silent for a short moment, as she thought about how chaotic the last 2 weeks had been and how they had struggled to find time for each other but she had to stop herself to avoid bumming herself out. Lavon could sense it bothered her so decided to change the subject.

"Oh I forgot, a courier delivered somethin' for you yesterday, you were at work so I signed for it."

Zoe's mood changed suddenly "It's probably from my mom, she's sending us some stuff for the baby, I'll send Wade around for it tonight..." She glanced down at the iPad to see the time as she jumped off the stool "… I have to get to work…" she looked over at Wade who was jumping from one table to another "… keep an eye on him for me would you, make sure he doesn't dehydrate" she joked as she gathered up her stuff. Lavon chuckled to himself as his eyes followed Wade, starting to feel a little bummed himself that he had barely seen his best friend much either.

….

AB knocked on the office door that was slightly open and poked her head around to see Zoe sitting at her desk with her head buried in the newspaper. Zoe scribbled something down on the pad beside her and then switched her eyes back to newspaper.

"Zoe…" AB called after knocking on the door once more but Zoe never budged "…Zoe!" AB called out a little louder as Zoe jumped in her seat.

"Oh my God AB, don't just stand there like that…. it's creepy."

AB gave an innocent smile as she ventured towards the desk as Zoe closed over the newspaper and hid the pad under it. AB tried to get a peak of what she had scribbled down but Zoe was one step ahead of her.

"What's up?" Zoe asked as she tried to deflect from the paper in front of her.

"I'm going to lunch at the Rammer Jammer, wanna come with me?"

"I'm good thanks…" she looked over at the brown paper bag beside her handbag "… Wade and I are trying to save money and that means-"

"Making your own lunch?"

Zoe nodded her head "With Lavon's food. It's a great money saver."

AB laughed "Okay… well I'm gonna go. You don't have any appointments until 3 anyway."

"Great, thanks…" Zoe said as she looked back down at the paper in front of her and suddenly something hit her "…AB wait! I need you to get Brick to take my patients from 4:30pm onwards."

"Why?"

"I completely forgot that I have an appointment at 5."

"At the hospital? Because you don't have it written down in the schedule and you know how-"

Zoe became flustered "It's not at the hospital. It's… it's at the- the hairdressers…." She ran her fingers through her hair "… I'm getting my hair done."

AB narrowed her eyes, growing more and more suspicious of what Zoe was up to. She crossed her arms together as she nodded her head, examining Zoe's long, flowing hair.

"The hairdressers? You're leavin' work during the day to go to the hairdressers?"

"Yes, it's the only time that suited."

AB nodded her head "And Wade's okay with that? You spendin' so much money on your hair when A. you're tryin' to save money and B. you're hair looks amazin'?"

Zoe swallowed hard "Well you know, he is a very understanding man and gets that I need to feel special during this emotional roller-coaster that is pregnancy…"

"Zoe…"

"Okay fine, you got me!…" Zoe admitted as AB smiled "… I'm not going to the hairdressers but Wade and I do have an appointment today. "

AB took a seat in front of her "Why didn't you just tell me that? It's not like I was going to follow you guys to wherever you were going!"

Zoe sighed "Because I don't think you'd be very happy with where we are going…"

AB sat up, her face fell from cheery to concerned "Why, where are you going? Oh my god are you two thinkin' about a water birth and going to see one in action? Because I have heard of people who do that and I-"

"What? Ew no, no we are definitely not doing that… no!" Zoe cleared her throat "We're going to meet a realtor about a house."

AB's eyes widened with joy, she knew how stressed the two of them had been over finding a house "Aw Zoe… that's nothin' to hide. Is that cute one just off the plantation that you two had liked? I think it's perfect for you."

Zoe cringed as she handed AB the newspaper. AB took it in her hand and saw straight away the ad in the right hand corner circled in red marker. She smiled at the picture of the house, although it was in black and white she could still make out the house and it's small yet well-kept garden. She thought it was lovely but something bothered her, she didn't know why… and then it hit her.

"Oh Zoe…"

"I know…" Zoe said quietly.

"So that's why you said the hairdressers…"

Zoe nodded slowly "We looked at it a few weeks back and we finally have the money so we're going to put an offer on it… Can you please try and keep this quiet? Nothing is final yet, we just really don't want to get our hopes up and for everybody to know and especially not have _certain_ people know…"

AB caught on quickly and nodded her head in agreement. As Zoe smiled nervously "…so can you please try your best to keep it to yourself?"

AB froze, horrible memories of secret keeping came rushing back to her "Maybe I should just get my lunch and have it here…"

Zoe smiled a smile of relief as she looked over at the paper in AB's hand "So what do you think of the house? I know the picture isn't clear but it's actually really nice and there is enough room out the back if we ever wanted to extend the kitchen… and here I am getting ahead of myself."

AB smiled "I think it's good to get ahead of yourself, I really do think this house will work out for you guys."

"What house?" A deep voice asked from behind AB as Zoe's head shot up. She immediately saw the look of intrigue in his eyes as he moved closer to AB who tried to hide the paper but Lavon was too quick and swiped it out of her grip. His eyes fell on the circled ad and smiled once he saw the picture but suddenly it disappeared. Both Zoe and AB watched on anxiously as Lavon struggled to find words. Zoe contemplated saying something to him but she didn't know what to say and she knew anything she did say would be completely lost on him.

"No..." he stuttered out as Zoe cringed "… No, no, no!"

"Lavon, wait!" Zoe called after him as he turned around and made his way out the door.

"No, no, no, no!"

Zoe sighed as she sunk into her chair, she dragged her hand across her face.

….

Zoe and Wade stood there as they watched Lavon pace over and back. Every few seconds he turned in their direction, opened his mouth to speak but then went back to running a hole into the ground. Wade sighed as he looked down at Zoe and then back over at Lavon.

"Doc, we really gotta get goin'… the realtor is waitin' for us…" Wade whispered down at Zoe who followed Lavon's tracks with her eyes.

"I know… I just don't want to leave him alone like this. He's turning so fast I'm afraid he might get whiplash."

Wade rolled his eyes as Lavon stopped and looked them both in the eye. He breathed in and then quickly breathed out again until finally he spoke.

"Fillmore…really?! Are y'all tryin' to give me a stroke?"

Wade sighed "Lavon, look-"

"Nah… this is a joke right?" he asked smiling and soon began to laugh "you guys are just doin' this as a joke, you know a little humour, to keep me on my toes?"

Zoe looked up at Wade whose eyes met hers halfway "This isn't a joke, Lavon."

His face dropped to serious once more "Y'all can't move to Fillmore."

"We aren't movin' to Fillmore. Can't you read? The house is halfway between Bluebell and Fillmore, our address would still say Bluebell." Wade stated trying to make their case but Lavon was having none of it.

"Once y'all are outside of Bluebell, you're out of Bluebell. It will take you 5 minutes to get to Bluebell but only 4 minutes to get to Fillmore… you know what that means don't you?"

"Different time zones?" Wade said mockingly as Zoe rolled her eyes.

"It means, that when y'all need milk, or diapers or more beer- you'll go to Fillmore! And then on one of those nights you'll get talkin' to those nasty Fillmore townspeople and then before you know it you will be sittin' in their kitchens, drinkin' their coffee, makin' memories with them and then Zoe Hart and Wade Kinsella will go down in Bluebell's history as the couple who left and never returned."

Wade scoffed as he held his hand over his face.

Zoe was slightly more understanding of Lavon's sudden outburst and tried her best to calm him down "You're getting a little ahead of yourself there Lavon… our jobs are in Bluebell, our lives are in Bluebell, that's not changing."

"Except y'all won't be livin' _in_ Bluebell…."

Wade looked at the time and sighed "Look Lavon, I don't know what to tell you. Zoe and I are puttin' an offer on the house this evenin'…" he reached down for Zoe's hand and took it in his as Zoe gave Lavon a sympathetic look "… we'll cya later on."

Lavon watched them leave as a sad state overcame him. He watched them disappear out of view through the kitchen window before turning and making his way through his house and to his front door where he opened it slowly. On the other side of the door stood a very cold looking George with Lemon and AB standing either side of him. Lavon looked around for any sign of Wade or Zoe and soon pulled them inside.

"Did they see you?" He asked suspiciously as they walked into the kitchen.

"Did who see us?" George asked as he pulled a beer from the fridge.

"Wade and Zoe. I haven't heard the car leave yet."

Lemon examined his agitated state "Lavon, what is goin' on? Why are we here and why did we have to go through the front door?"

Lavon looked over at AB "We have a serious matter to discuss. I just got word of it today."

George placed his beer on the counter and Lemon straightened up in her seat as both came very concerned with his serious tone of voice. AB on the other hand only rolled her eyes as she remained silent in the corner.

"What is it? What's the matter?" Lemon asked.

Lavon exhaled "It's about Wade and Zoe."

George grew worried "Is there something wrong with the baby?"

Lavon hung his head as AB grew irritated all the while George and Lemon became more and more concerned.

"They're buyin' a house… in Fillmore." Lavon spoke as if his heart had just broken but to his surprise his reaction was not shared by everyone else. He looked over at each individual hoping their delay in reaction was based on shock.

"Did you hear what I just said? Fillmore!"

Lemon looked over at AB "Is it that house on the back road between here and Fillmore? The one with that amazing glass panelling on either side of the door?"

AB nodded her head as George smiled "Oh yeah, I know that house. It's got that wraparound porch..." he added "… although I don't think it's in Fillmore Lavon."

Lavon growled "It ain't in Bluebell, I mean here. In Bluebell. With us."

George looked over at the two women "So, uh, what has Wade and Zoe buyin' a house got to do with us?"

Lavon became excited once more "We need to come up with a plan to keep Wade and Zoe in Bluebell."

"Lavon…" Lemon groaned but Lavon dismissed it.

"I know, it is a dauntin' task but I believe if we work together we can figure it out."

There was silence in the kitchen as Lavon was forced to rally the conversation once more as it seemed his friends were unresponsive.

"Okay, well I brainstormed a few earlier and this is what I got…." He turned to George "I bring in a law that says owners of businesses in Bluebell must live in Bluebell. Huh? Pretty good aint it? Wade would have no choice in the matter then."

George could only shake his head, completely stunned by Lavon's current state. Lavon then turned to Lemon "Or we could get Brick to tell Zoe that it was Harley's wish that his daughter remained in town whilst workin' in his practice."

Lemon winced as she replied sarcastically "Yeah I don't see that one workin' at all."

"Okay, okay. It was a long shot but I think y'all will like this one…" he leaned over the counter, scanning his bulging eyes across everyone in the room "… this Fillmore house, and I use that term loosely, it's more a shack than a house, but it was not their first choice. Their first choice was that house just off the plantation but they were about 4 grand short and wouldn't get the money in time to put a bid on. So I reckon what we should do is, we each chip in a grand and that way, they can stay in town."

"Uh huh yeah and who is givin' us the money to give to them?" Lemon asked sarcastically as George sniggered. It had yet to dawn on Lavon that no one was taking him or his ideas seriously and the only reason the 3 of them hadn't walked out on him was that they were enjoying him chattering like a fool.

"Lavon I don't have money for Fancies, what makes you think I have money to give to Wade and Zoe?" Lemon argued as George nodded in agreement.

"What even makes you think they would even take the money?" George asked as Lavon began to get frustrated.

"I know it seems a little-"

"Crazy?" George said.

"Insane?" AB added.

"Ludicrous?" Lemon stated as Lavon felt his plan slipping further and further away from him. He sighed as his body slouched. AB noticed his sad demeanour and although she enjoyed seeing him act like a crazy person she also understood why he was acting this way.

"I know you don't want to see them go Lavon, it's okay to say you'll miss them."

Lavon tried to act cool, knowing that AB could see right through his act "That's not it, I am simply fulfilling my duty as mayor of this town to see that its citizens do not suffer due to the- the upmost selfishness and utter disregard shown by both Wade and Zoe!" He slammed his hand down on the counter to make his point and then stormed out of this kitchen making sure the door crashed shut behind him. George hung his head as they stood there in silence.

"Should one of us go after him or…"

"No, let him wallow. He'll come around eventually." Lemon replied as she picked at the bunch of grapes in front of her.

"Well he'll have to..." AB said, chiming in "… I was talkin' to Zoe earlier and she really loves that house. They're puttin' an offer on it tonight."

George breathed in "Things are really changin' around here, huh?"

The girls looked at each other silently and then back at George "Yeah I guess so…" Lemon said quietly.

….

Wade pulled the heavy flat pack away from the wall and slowly rested it on the ground. He examined the picture plastered across the box and sighed. Why did Candice have to buy them the most complicated crib possible? He picked up the note that was stuck to the box and scanned over it which was from Candice, informing them once again that she does not want to be called grandma and if they were willing to reconsider, she had a nanny eager to 'come down there' and help them. Wade rolled his eyes as he dropped to his knees and reached for the scissors on the coffee table and began snipping the plastic ties from around the box. He heard the front door open, he knew Zoe was at work and was in too bad a mood to care about anyone else.

"Hey, Wade." Lavon said in a cheery tone as he walked in to see Wade on his hands and knees.

Wade looked up and grunted at him before returning to work.

"Puttin' the crib together?" Lavon asked, trying not to put too much focus on Wade's mood.

Wade sighed "Gotta get an idea of size, seen as it looks like we'll be here for a while longer…"

Lavon cocked his head, trying to hide his smile "What? Why?"

Wade shook his head, trying his best to hide his disappointment "The realtor called, someone else put a bid on the house and we can't match it let alone beat it…" he looked down at the crib "… so looks like the baby's first house will be the carriage house."

"Aw no… seriously?"

Wade threw him a look as he cleared his throat "Yeah, realtor couldn't say who it was… but she did say it was someone with great power… good athletic background too."

"Oh yeah is that right?"

"Yeah, yeah it is…." Wade glared at him "… Zoe's devastated, she's convinced we're never gonna find anywhere. Like it's just not gonna happen for us."

Lavon's mood changed, he could just imagine Zoe sitting in her office munching on a box of crullers with tears running down her face and that's when it really hit him… they weren't moving out because they wanted a change of scenery or to get away from him, they were about to start a family and a family needed to be in a home with more than 1 room.

Lavon hung his head in shame as Wade continued to flick through the instructions.

"It was me…" Lavon said quietly but Wade never flinched.

"I know." Wade answered as he pulled out one of the legs of the crib and examined it.

Lavon raised his brow, he certainly wasn't expecting that reaction Wade "Oh…"

"It didn't take long to figure it out once she said the name rhymed with 'Raise'. So you uh, plan on usin' it as a summer residence? Pack the SUV up and just leave all your troubles behind?"

Lavon sagged his shoulders, this was more of a reaction he was expecting "Look Wade-"

Wade threw the piece of wood back in the box and rose to his feet "I guess I just don't get it… I mean you say you want me and Zoe together, that you're happy for us and you're excited about this baby and then you go and put a bid on the house you knew we were goin' to buy, a bid you knew we couldn't beat! Why would you do that Lavon? I really can't figure it out…"

Lavon sighed, now that Wade had said it out loud his actions sounded completely ridiculous and that look on his friend's face made him feel even worse.

"I don't want you guys to move out…" He admitted as Wade looked on "…I knew it would happen eventually but the idea of you guys bein' anywhere but here, it's gonna be weird."

Wade sighed as he took a seat beside Lavon on the couch "Yeah, it is. It's gonna be really weird. All of this is…"

"I thought we had more time, but damn 9 months goes by fast."

Wade forced out a long breath "You're tellin' me? There's gonna be a little baby 'round here in 4 months. That's crazy."

Lavon smiled "Aw, y'all are gonna be fine, great in fact."

"You know I always thought I'd be on the plantation when you had kids and I'd be Uncle Wade livin' in the gatehouse…"

Lavon chuckled as Wade cleared his throat "All this is happenin' so fast Lavon… and my dream is to one day, build a house on the plantation but I have to think realistically here, for Zoe and for our baby… so we're not in Bluebell, we're 5 minutes away. We'll be at work in town every day and we'll always be around cause you know, we're our free babysitter."

Lavon smiled as Wade continued to breathe nervously.

"I also don't think I'm quite ready to lose you, you're my best bud, Wade. Things are gonna change, like the hours of playin' video games and drinkin' beer and watchin' the best NFL cheerleaders of all times."

Wade laughed at the last bit "Yeah I don't think Zoe would be down with that… but everythin' else we can still do, maybe not as much as before, but you're my best bud too and that's one thing that's never gonna change."

Lavon smiled "I'm really sorry for biddin' on your house."

Wade relaxed a little "It's cool, Zoe doesn't know about it so it can be our little secret."

"Alright good… oh another thing, I bumped into Earl this mornin' and he asked if I could tell you and Zoe that he wants you guys to call around this evenin'…"

"Did he say what for?"

"Nah, but whatever he has planned he is super excited about it, he had a big smile on his face."

"I can hardly wait…" Wade said sarcastically as he smiled over at Lavon who laughed back. They had been through so much together, they were almost like brothers, Lavon had seen Wade transform from an irresponsible boy with a good heart into a man with a heart of gold and he had also watched him and Zoe fall in love, he had seen them together and then apart and he knew better than anyone that even when they were at their worst, that they would find their way back to each other because what they had was special and rare and something not many people go the chance to experience.

….

"So the realtor said there was a problem?" Zoe asked in a concerned tone as her and Wade walked hand in hand towards Earl's house.

Wade played it cool, wanting to keep his and Lavon's conversation between them "She just said that it may take til Monday for our bid to go through, that's all."

"Okay..." Zoe said, not really convinced but also relieved that everything was still running smoothly because she was hesitant that her and Wade were capable of purchasing a house without some sort of disaster overcoming them.

"I opened the crib today…" Wade said, changing the conversation "… it's gonna need a construction crew to put it together. Your mom picked the most confusin' one out there."

Zoe laughed "Well you know my mom, go big or go home."

"True… it looks nice though."

"Yeah it does…" Zoe said softly, in agreement as they approached Earl's porch. Wade took a long breath before knocking on the door. He heard noise on the other side and eventually Earl opened the door. He greeted them with the biggest smile on his face.

"Someone's happy." Wade joked as Zoe hit him lightly on the stomach.

"Good to see you smiling Earl." Zoe said politely as Wade nodded in agreement.

"Thanks Doc, I hope you're lookin' after yourself. Us Kinsella's are known for birthin' big babies. I'd make sure to get all the drugs you can."

"Dad!" Wade groaned as Zoe laughed it off.

"Don't worry Earl, I accepted a long time ago this baby was not going to be small."

Earl smiled "Well don't just stand out there, come in." He ushered them in and pushed over the door as he led them into the living room. Zoe couldn't help but notice how the appearance of the house had improved drastically. There was not one beer bottle in sight, there was no loose pieces of clothing hanging around and it even looked like he had gotten new curtains and put a fresh layer of paint on the walls that were once grey and grubby. As both Wade and Zoe looked around the room they both noticed the white sheet that draped over something large and bulky that rested on the table.

"Dear God Earl please tell me you don't have a possum or armadillo under there." Wade stated as Earl shuffled towards the table.

He smiled to himself "Don't worry son, my Crazy Earl days are over, its Grandpa Earl from now on."

"Dad you do know that you can't put a baby in an armadillo cage, right?"

Earl scoffed "Believe it or not son, I do know a thing or two about babies. I raised you didn't I?"

"Just about…" Wade muttered sarcastically as Earl brushed it off and turned his attention back to the pile on the table.

Earl looked over at Zoe and smiled "Ever since I found out about the pretty doctor bein' pregnant I have wanted to give y'all a gift but I couldn't find the perfect one…." He cleared his throat once more as Wade straightened up once he noticed the seriousness in his father's voice "…Wade I've put you through the ringer. You've sung me off roofs and picked me up when anyone else would've walked away…"

Wade's face felt numb, he had never heard his father talk like this before. He held Zoe's hand tight in his as Earl continued to speak.

"…You looked after me in ways a son should never have to look after his father and you did it for so long without a bad word ever bein' said..." Zoe bit her bottom lip to hold her emotions in as she looked up at Wade who was too enthralled in his father's words to notice anything else going on around him.

"… and for those reasons I know that you will be the best father to that baby and you will try your darnedest to protect it and help it, in the same way you did with me." He swallowed hard as Wade nodded his head stiffly, trying to form some sort of sentence but he just couldn't. Earl placed his hand over the sheet and pulled it off slowly as Wade's jaw dropped. Zoe had to blink a number of times as what was in front of her was nothing she could have ever expected from this moment. However, it was lost on her the significance of what was in front of them. Wade stepped forward, away from Zoe and towards the table. He ran his hand slowly across the dozen jars that were stacked together. He breathed hard as he examined the dollar bills that were stuffed into the jars. He took in every detail as Earl watched on nervously as Wade looked up at him and then back at Zoe.

"Is this…" his voice small and fragile, he looked at Earl who nodded his head "…I don't understand, this is- I don't…" his voice turned serious "…Earl what is this?"

"Like I said, you looked after me, now it's time for you to look after your family."

Wade felt as though he had just been hit with a ton of bricks as he looked back at Zoe, who was clearly overcome with emotion. He rested his hand once more on one of the jars as he remained completely and utterly stunned.

"I don't know what to tell you, dad."

Earl smiled "Tell me that my first grandbaby won't be livin' in Fillmore." He said jokingly as his smile remained.

Zoe giggled through the tears as Wade smiled. He looked over at his father and gave an honest smile, he paused for a moment before turning into Earl, placing his hand on his shoulder and then pulling in towards his body. It was an unusual sensation for both men as hugging was not something done often but as Earl held his boy, he became so overcome with joy and admiration that a tear rolled down his face as he held Wade tight. As Zoe watched on, she felt her heart pound with love and with serenity. She knew her and Wade would face a thousand moments of hardship and at times struggle but she also knew that this moment would be in her heart forever and no amount of unrest could take its place.

….

Wade stared down at Zoe, who had her head resting on his chest. He watched as she breathed in and out. He made light circles on her skin with the tip of his finger as he listened intently to her rhythmic breathing pattern. Zoe knew he was wide awake, she herself was far from sleeping but she knew his mind was buzzing. They shared the silence together, both lying there- reflecting on what had been a rollercoaster of a few days.

"We have until Monday to pull out of the Fillmore house." Wade blurted out.

Zoe looked up at him, smiling at the fact the house had since earned the name of 'The Fillmore House'. She readjusted her body a little to find a comfortable position "What do you mean?"

Wade garnered a bit of excitement within him "With the money Earl gave us we can put a bid on the house down the road from the plantation, it will be a bit of a stretch but we could do it Doc."

Zoe thought about it for a minute. She had given up completely on the idea of owning that house just minutes from both their places of work and an even shorter distance from Lavon's. Wade shot up in the bed and reached over towards the lamp and flicked it on, his mind firmly set on this idea now.

"Wade, we should think about this, at least til Monday."

"Think about what Zoe?"

"So many things!"

"We want to stay in Bluebell, we want our child to be raised in Bluebell, right?"

"Of course…" Zoe said in agreement but she was still reluctant "…but Wade what if we put a bid on the Bluebell house, don't get it and then miss out on the Fillmore House?"

Wade placed his hand on her hip and smiled "What if we put a bid on the Bluebell house and get it?" He tucked a strand of loose hair behind her ear "…look Zoe, tonight has shown me that there is magic in the world, if you believe in it and if you stick with it. Earl gave us that money, all 3 of us, to build a home and of course that means any house as long as we're together but… Bluebell is where I imagine spendin' my life with you."

Zoe's heart fluttered as slowly her reluctance started to crumble. She looked into his eyes, they said so much "I imagine that too… and I wanna take that chance with you, let's put an offer on the Bluebell house."

Wade's eyes lit up "You sure?"

"Yes, I really am." She reached up and kissed him as he wrapped his arm around her.

"Lavon is gonna be so happy!" He blurted out as Zoe laughed.

"Yes, he is."

…**.**

**So there you go, please let me know what you thought. Thanks **


End file.
